Sibling rivalries and conflict can be disruptive when it comes to team chemistry in sports.
That is not the case on the volleyball court at Independence High School when it comes to the dynamic sister duo of senior of Kyra Davis and sophomore Jaina Davis.
“We are really close. We love being together and doing things together. She is like my best friend,” Jaina said. “It’s a really fun experience to have her on the team with me. We are able to work together outside of practice and we can talk about things to make us better.”
Kyra echoed her younger sister’s thoughts.
“I love playing with my sister. It’s not like other siblings where you might think they fight on the court. We just have a lot of fun,” Kyra said. “I would much rather play with her than anybody else. We have played together for years.”
Kyra is another in the long line of powerful outside hitters to come out of Coal City. However, Indy head coach, Kevin Bragg feels Kyra has yet to receive the recognition she fully deserves.
“I think Kyra has always been underrated and has been overlooked a lot,” Bragg said. “She isn’t very tall, but she is so powerful. She has taken it upon herself to learn how to control that power. Last year she was our go-to hitter and she put the weight of a young team on her back. She is a six-rotation hitter, and you don’t see that very often.”
The elder Davis may not blow you away with her height, but her ability to elevate at the net certainly will.
“I did gymnastics when I was younger for fun. Gymnastics is also a sport where you have to be able to explode and push yourself off the floor,” Kyra said. “Cross-fit has also helped build up my leg strength. We do box jumps and you must be able to explode to get up on the box. It has helped me build my vertical over the years.”
“When you are as short as we are, you have to strengthen your legs up a little bit. Cross-fit helps with that a lot,” Jaina chimed in, laughing.
Kyra described the sisters cross-fit routine as a mixture of gymnastics movements, weightlifting and cardio. She also credited cross-fit for more than just leg strength.
“Cross-fit helps me build up endurance. I can go for long periods of time without needing a break. I feel like I can breathe fine, and I am not overwhelmed by the intensity of the game. It helps me relax and breathe during volleyball games,” Kyra said.
Along with cross-fit, both sisters point to playing on the travel circuit with Club Attack as a key factor in their volleyball development.
“Club Attack is one of the best things that we could have done to get better,” Jaina said. “It is such a great experience playing teams from different states. It has really helped us be all-around better players.”
According to their coach, that off-season work has made both sisters extremely versatile on the court, not to mention, very coachable.
“One year Kyra was a defensive specialist which helped her to become such a great passer. She could be a setter if we needed her to because she has great hands,” Bragg said. “This year I asked her to move to the middle and the middle is hard. When I asked her to move, she said, ‘sure, that’s great.’ She has the tools to put the ball anywhere.”
“Jana is a true utility player. I could tell her to play the middle and she would know how to play it,” Bragg continued. “She would be undersized, but she would stick her nose right in there with the big girls and figure out ways to get us points. She is just an athlete and maybe more into cross-fit than Kyra. She is small, but she is solid muscle.”
Independence has a young group this year and Bragg is counting on his seniors to help lead the young players.
“Kyra is vocal when the game gets going, but in practice she puts her head down and works hard. She leads by example,” Bragg said.
Kyra may look completely at ease on the floor now, but it was not always that way. A key lesson she learned early in her career is one she now uses to make incoming players feel more at ease.
“I kind of had my head up in the clouds as a freshman. I was really nervous because I felt intimidated by the seniors. High school is a lot faster than a middle school game. I was also up against 17- or 18-year-old players and I was 14,” Kyra recalled. “I learned you just go out there and play your game. Do what you know to do and don’t get intimidated.”
The standout senior admits that this year is a little bittersweet with it being her final high school season, however, she is excited for the season to start, as is her younger sister.
“Last year we were so close at sectionals. This year we are a lot better with our hitting. Last year we struggled with that. This year we have a little more power,” Jaina said. “We really support each other and we all like to have fun.”