Buckeye Twin Tales, Part Two: West Geauga's 6-0 sophomore Grills

The second installation in this series takes us to northeast Ohio with the West Geauga Wolverines of the Chagrin Valley Conference in sophomore 6-0 twins [player_tooltip player_id='492642' first='Ella' last='Grill'] and [player_tooltip player_id='492635' first='Anna' last='Grill'].   The CVC is comprised of 25 schools over four divisions in five counties. West Geauga is part of the Chagrin Division.   The two have made an impact on the Wolverines since setting foot in high school. [player_tooltip player_id='492642' first='Ella' last='Grill'] (right) does it primarily from the middle and [player_tooltip player_id='492635' first='Anna' last='Grill'] (left) is a force on the outside. West Geauga veteran head coach Amber Baker said the two are the top two returning hitters for the Wolverines. They will be paired up with a fourth-year starting setter in senior Malory Lear this fall.   The two helped the Wolverines to a two-win improvement this past fall. They hope to help the Wolverines to their first winning season since three straight from 2020 to 2022. The twins spoke about that and other items working toward the fall.   Playing with Twin   Ella: Knowing that no matter what, I'll always have someone who's there for me on the court, getting to learn from each other and grow together.   Anna: My biggest joy growing up playing volleyball with a twin was and is always having someone by my side throughout everything we did and someone to help me out when I needed it.   Handling Coordination Issues   Ella: I have to make sure I correct my form when something is wrong, and make sure I'm working on my strength as well.   Anna: A lot of players do struggle with coordination. Ella and I have practiced so much and trained to where we are able to adjust to our height.   Effective Blocking   Ella: You have to make sure to plant your feet and close the block.   Anna: Keys to effective blocking are always following your hitter at all times and timing when the hitter approaches.   Leadership Roles   Ella: We're making sure we help the whole team out when we are struggling along with making sure we do what is needed to win and have fun.    Anna: From the beginning of our freshman year we both knew we were going to be taking on big leadership roles as we got older. Ella and I have always been strong leaders and with the upcoming underclassmen, we know we will have to take charge more.   Pre-Game Rituals or Superstitions   Ella: Drinking an energy drink before every game gives me good luck.   Anna:  I always listen to music before a game to get ready.   Growth Spurts   Ella: I've always been tall and using that ability for volleyball has helped me get more comfortable with my height and adjust to it.   Anna: Ella and I have always been on the taller side compared to everyone else, so we have always been used to being taller. When we got into middle school and high school, our growth spurts got more apparent though when people and coaches started noticing how tall we were.   Coach Baker   Ella: I appreciate Coach Baker more then she knows for always helping me out when I'm stuck on something or helping me get out of my head when we are loosing. I'm grateful for all of it.    Anna: Coach Baker has been one of my biggest inspirations as a coach. Since previously having bad experiences with coaches in the past, Coach Baker has been one of the only coaches who has consistently made me want to continue my volleyball career. She motivates me in so many ways that no other coaches have been able to do.   Teaming up with experienced setter Malory Lear   Ella: Malory makes sure all of the hitters get set by her and she knows where to set the ball so we will get the point. Knowing that Malory and I have a strong connection on and off the court helps a lot.    Differences between outside hitters and middle blockers   Ella: I think playing outside, you need to be a strong blocker and hitter as well as being good at defense. I think middle has a lot to do with all of those but in different ways.    Drive to take big swings   Ella: Seeing the team get down when we are loosing is my biggest motivator. Wanting to get a point back when we are down feels amazing to see your teammates get excited and help us come back and win.   Not getting in own head as much   Anna: I'm trying to focus on the weaknesses of my team and try to help them improve rather than put myself down when I'm doing bad.   Getting Back to top of Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division   Anna: This season we really need to work our focus during practice which will really help us improve when we put our skill in game. We all have great skill. We just need to learn how to put that skill on the court and be consistent and focused.   Notes from Family   The biggest joy watching them throughout their volleyball careers is seeing their passion for volleyball grow as they've gotten better each year. Seeing their faces truly light up with pure excitement when they make a huge play and score is by far the best feeling a parent can experience. The smiles on their faces is priceless and feels exhilarating as a parent watching from the sidelines. All the hard work they put in to every second they are on the court pays off when they play together to score big. They are truly so fun to watch as they definitely understand each other being twins and it feels like they can predict each others' next move! - Mom and Stepdad (Kara and Matt Smetana)   I would say the biggest joy watching them grown up playing volleyball would be just how much they have progressed through the years and how much their confidence on and off the court has grown. I couldn't be more proud of both of them. Their love and dedication to the sport has really shaped who they are today. - Dad (Matt Grill)    Grill does a great job taking advantage of her size in the middle. West Geauga head coach Amber Baker said Grill is very demanding on the court, often calling for balls. Baker said Grill has been trying to increase her hitting speed and get quicker on reads at the net, noting it's a matter of players getting to know their bodies, in the early part of 2025. Grill had 151 kills, 33 aces, 17 solo blocks and 31 assisted blocks this past season for the Wolverines.     West Geauga head coach Amber Baker could not say enough about Grill's heart. Grill has great athleticism and it shows on the court. Baker pointed out her defense is sound as 109 digs her freshman year indicates. Grill does make a number of first contacts, especially on serve receiving. Grill led the Wolverines with 202 kills this past fall.    Note from the Writer   Mike Graham has been writing for Prep Dig for one year and has enjoyed getting to know the volleyball scenes in both Kentucky and Ohio. If you liked the story, please copy and paste to X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. You may also follow us at @prepdigkentucky or @prepdigoh on Instagram in addition to @PrepDigKy or @PrepDigOH on X. If you feel someone in Kentucky or Ohio needs coverage, please email Mike at pnmikeg@yahoo.com. You may also follow him on X @GMCgrah or Instagram @g.michaelgraham. Subscriptions give you access to exclusive content. For a 30% discount, enter code graham30 at checkout.

The second installation in this series takes us to northeast Ohio with the West Geauga Wolverines of the Chagrin Valley Conference in sophomore 6-0 twins Ella Grill Ella Grill 6'0" | MB West Geauga | 2027 State OH and Anna Grill Anna Grill 6'0" | OH West Geauga | 2027 State OH .