Twins give a one-two punch to Canyon Crest volleyball
Sep 4, 2008 By Gideon Rubin
Twins Laura, left, and Megan Plumb are doubly dangerous to Canyon Crest opponents.
Photo by: Courtesy
Canyon Crest Academy volleyball coach Ariel Haas admits it was hard not to notice how indistinguishable Laura and Megan Plumb were when the twin sisters first when out for the team as freshmen three years ago.
It was even harder not to notice that initially, neither was particularly impressive.
"I remember in the very beginning in camp before our tryouts there were these two really scrawny twins that basically looked uncoordinated and unskilled," Haas said.
"My first thought was they're never going to make the varsity. They're never going to make it."
Within a year, the Plumb sisters didn't just "make it," they were making an impact, leading the upstart Ravens to playoffs in their inaugural season.
Both are now seniors who are being recruited by four-year colleges and project to play at Div. II schools next year.
"It's definitely been a surprise," Haas said.
Megan Plumb is an undersized 5-foot-10 middle blocker whose power and athleticism makes up for her lack of height. Laura Plumb, 5-9, who hits left-handed and plays right side and is the more finesse-oriented of the two.
Both are key leaders, with Megan Plumb more vocal, and Laura Plumb leading more by example.
Their leadership has helped guide the Ravens to deep playoff runs each of the last two years.
The Ravens reached the San Diego Section Div. IV playoffs in the program's 2006 varsity inaugural, and then the Div. III semifinals last season.
The Ravens are aiming for another deep playoff run. They return 10 seniors on a talented team that features one of the area's most coveted collegiate prospects, sophomore standout middle blocker Samantha Cash, who is 6-2.
Their improbable journey to elite-level volleyball didn't start until the Plumb twins made their foray into organized volleyball in eighth grade attending different San Diego middle schools, Laura Plumb at Rock Academy, and Megan Plumb at Horizon.
"We had only a faint idea of what was going to be happening when we went into high school," Megan Plumb said. "We weren't really expecting much. We were just trying out for the volleyball team hoping we would make it."
They made it on the junior varsity B team that played freshmen teams.
The Plumbs developed quickly that year under coach Marisa Tirri, who's now a CCA assistant coach, and made the varsity team their sophomore year.
"They very quickly found their way onto the court," Haas said. "Within a year or two they developed into really fine players."
Their development figured prominently in the emergence of the program. And as relative newcomers to the sport, the Plumbs haven't lost the enthusiasm for a game many do playing year-round at an early age.
"To make CIF was amazing," Laura Plumb said. "I didn't even know what CIF was my freshman year."
Their zest reflects the attitude of a program that's relished its role as overachieving underdogs, excelling in an intensely competitive environment at a school known more for arts than sports.
"I think we're more excited to be in the playoffs," Megan Plumb said. "I think they're more nervous about playing a team that's come so far that didn't even get started until three or four years ago."
Both acknowledged that the opportunity to play varsity-level volleyball at most other area high schools would have been unlikely.
"Since it was a new program we had an opportunity," Megan Plumb said. The Plumb twins pounced on the opportunity that now has them on the collegiate volleyball map.
Being twins has also afforded the Plumps opportunities for pranks. While at Horizon in sixth grade, they joined a set of boy twins also at the school switching classes for a day.
"Nobody even noticed until we told them," she said.
Sometimes, opponents confuse the two, a potentially perilous misread considering mistaking a right-handed hitter from a lefty can easily put someone in harm's way.
But the twins likely will pursue their college careers in separate settings.
Megan Plumb, who plans to major in athletic training, is looking at colleges on the East Coast, while Laura Plumb said she plans to attend an instate college.
Megan Plumb has taken advanced photography and is considering it as a possible minor. Laura Plumb excels at drawing.
Despite identical appearances, the two have somewhat different personalities. Laura Plumb admits she tends to be a bit more serious, while Megan is the more outgoing of the two.
But despite those subtle differences, both are intense competitors who aim for success in any endeavor they pursue.
"We always strive to do our best at everything we do," Laura Plumb said. "We always strive to get the better grades, to be a better person and to be better on the volleyball court."
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