Oct. 15, 2015
By Anita Nham, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Kendall and Lainy Pierce have lived and grown up together their entire lives. Both of them share a love for volleyball, Penn State, the tradition of the Penn State women's volleyball program and much more. However, even with all these similarities, there are a variety of differences between the two sisters.
Kendall has a passion for reading. She can sit down and read an entire book or series in one day. Though Kendall isn't reading anything at the moment because she's focusing on school and volleyball, her favorite books are Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows, and she recently finished The Maze Runner series.
Kendall also paints well, is very creative and likes to use Pinterest.
"I'm not like that at all," said Lainy. "I can't paint for my life or draw or anything like that."
Lainy is the opposite of Kendall. She is a personable and outgoing individual that loves being around others.
"Lainy likes anything that's social," said Kendall. "She likes being around people, and we always have our movie nights at our house. We're really close with our teammates, so we're doing that, or we're working with other athletes because she likes being anywhere the people are."
But these contrasting personalities are what make the Kendall and Lainy relationship. Their bond shows that they are more than sisters, they're best friends.
"I'll nag on [Lainy] because it will take her a couple of months to [read a book]," said Kendall. "When people say we're complete opposites, we're absolutely complete opposites, but I think it's pretty good. We're peanut butter and jelly together. We make a good combo, but we're definitely two different birds."
Even though they're best friends, Kendall isn't afraid to be the mother-figure in the relationship.
"We have a pretty good system [when living together]," said Kendall. "Usually, I do the laundry and she'll do the dinners, if we ever have to in the summer. I'll clean. I make the mess, but I clean it up."
Kendall makes sure that she isn't the only person doing things around the house, though.
"She isn't afraid to leave me lists of stuff that I have to get done," joked Lainy.
The connection between the two sisters has only grown since their arrivals at Penn State. Lainy graduated high school in December in order to come to Penn State early, so it was an abnormal transition, but Kendall helped her along the way by helping her study, making her dinner and taking Lainy to all the organizations where Kendall is a member.
"I think everything that I was involved with, I dragged my little sister to them whether she liked it or not," said Kendall. "I wanted her to experience it, and I think the experience was enough, and it really tugged on her heart and interested her. I think passing along some of the programs that I am involved in made me feel really comfortable passing them along to someone who I really trust."
Kendall is the current president for Athletes Take Action, and Lainy is now the treasurer for the program. Lainy also joined Students Athletic Advisory Board after seeing Kendall's role as treasurer.
Having a strong bond off the court not only builds their sisterhood, but it also enhances their performance on the court.
"I think on the court, we work together and I feel comfortable playing with her because I always have," said Lainy. "Off the court, she's my best friend, but also my mom. She makes me laugh, and she makes me happy."
Being around someone almost all hours of the day may get on some people's nerves, but for the Pierce sisters, that means nothing. Especially when time is running out as Kendall is graduating in December.
"There are times where we don't see each other for a couple of hours in a day, and Lainy will call me on her phone, and I'll be like, 'Lainy, are you just walking by yourself, again?," and she'll be like, 'Yes, but I have to play it cool and pretend that I know somebody', so we're very attached. I think if anything, going to college together has gotten us closer. I think it will be hard on me not having her here," said Kendall.
But with one Pierce member leaving, another one will be joining Penn State. Kendall and Lainy's younger brother, Declan, will be a member of the men's volleyball program, and his sisters are excited for him, especially Lainy.
"I'm excited to take the role that Kendall had with me, and be the older sister and look out for him a little bit," said Lainy.
Coach Rose only has good things about them.
"They come from a really true-blue Penn State family," said coach Rose. "…I think they're both really two wonderful young people that have a sparkle in their eye and are happy to be at Penn State."
At the end of the day though, Kendall and Lainy's favorite thing to do has nothing to do with volleyball or Penn State. These sisters love going on road trips.
"Sometimes we'll turn on our playlist. Sometimes we sing until we lose our voice," said Kendall. "I think just being together is our time to unwind. We get each other, so we don't have to put on a show or be anything we're not."
They're favorite song to sing to?
""Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield," said Kendall and Lainy simultaneously.