Q&A with 16U beach volleyball players, White City twins Sarah and Alexa Smith

WHITE CITY, Saskatchewan — Sarah and Alexa Smith of White City, the twin volleyball players, were the Saskatchewan 16U beach volleyball champions and members of Dwight Fuhro’s Greenall Griffins Senior Girls team.

The 16-year-old Smiths had quite a volleyball journey this past summer. Although the girls are currently playing indoor volleyball with the Griffins and will play club volleyball with the Stealth throughout the winter, it’s their passion for beach that might one day take them all the way to a Canadian title.

The pair completed their grade 10 year by the end of May, so that they could travel to Florida and compete all summer with Optimum Beach, a high-performance club team based out of St. Petersburg. Mom and dad split time with the twins in Florida as they piled 17,000 kilometres on the family van to allow the twins the opportunity of a lifetime.

Sarah and Alexa competed most weekends throughout the summer culminating with the US Nationals in Fort Lauderdale June 26-29. A chance for the twins to test their mettle against some of the top 16U teams from across the USA. 53 teams competed and the Smith’s came away with the silver medal. An incredible performance for the team from Saskatchewan. In early August they followed that up with a bronze medal at the Canadian Beach Nationals in Toronto. The Smith’s have cemented themselves as a force in youth beach volleyball and the future looks bright. I sat down for a Q & A with the talented volleyballers of Greenall High.

What are your personal goals within your sport?

Sarah Smith: Short term, I would like to play Beach volleyball at an NCAA Division 1 school in the United States. After that, I would love to play Beach volleyball professionally with my twin sister, Additionally, I would love to win a National Championship one day.

Alexa Smith: My biggest goal is to one day become a professional beach player and eventually a world champion for Canada that young athletes can look up to.

What is the biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

Sarah Smith: In beach volleyball, it is incredibly challenging to have to deal with the unpredictability of mother nature. Beach volleyball is an outdoor sport, which means that athletes are forced to deal with things such as wind, rain, heat and cold. The game goes on throughout the elements unless there’s imminent danger such as lightning! It requires adaptability.

What is the best advice you have been given in your sport?

Alexa Smith: I was once told that in team sports there is only so much you can control, but those who focus on what they can control and improve on are the ones who succeed.

What do you love about your sport?

Sarah Smith: I love beach volleyball because of the amazing community. I love being able to meet new people with similar interests as me. Maybe it’s because we are on the beach, but everyone (the players, coaches and parents) all seem to chill and relaxed. Furthermore, I love being able to play with my twin sister. Our relationship has drastically improved since the start of our journey in beach volleyball.

Alexa Smith: My favourite part of beach volleyball is the impact I have on the team since I am half of the entire roster. Additionally, in challenging situations all the pressure is on me and my partner, so I feel like the outcome of the play is determined by us.

Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?

Sarah and Alexa Smith: We love to share a set of Air Pods and blast our favourite playlist while we warm up. This helps us get into the zone and prepare for our game.

What has being a member of a team-taught you?

Sarah Smith: Being a member of a team has taught me that even when team members are having a disagreement, their main objective is still to do what is best for the team.

Alexa Smith: Playing on a high-performance team has taught me that the team comes before personal interests. For example, I cannot simply miss a practice because I’m too tired, I must push through and give 110% anyway. Not only that, but we have learnt how to listen to one another to function as a cohesive unit with a common goal.

What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?

Alexa Smith: We once were on a zoom call with the MacNamara twins (Team Canada Beach Volleyball members) and we asked them what they do to overcome their height, since they are not very tall. They said to avoid letting the opposing team offend to their full ability they must serve very aggressively. Additionally, on offence, you must be very tactical and tricky. We’ve worked that advice into our gameplay.

Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.

Sarah Smith: In my very first tournament of the 2022 summer season, I severely cut my toe in the middle of a game at a women’s open tournament. I was in shock and in pain. After a brief timeout and lots of bandages, I continued to play. Even though I was limping and in pain, I pushed through. We ended up being very successful and placed 3rd in the tournament.

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