Amanda Roche is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Gilbert Christian for AZPreps365.com.

Under the bright gym lights, two familiar voices call for the ball as they play for the Gilbert Christian Knights. For the Loth sisters, volleyball has become a way of life and a family tradition. 

Senior setter Sidney Loth and sophomore libero Shay Loth were multi-dimensional athletes growing up, but they never imagined falling in love with the same sport and playing together through high school.

The sisters begin at a young age playing as many sports as possible with a unique edge: both of their parents were coaches. While baseball and tennis were Jason Loth's specialties, that did not stop him from becoming the coach for most of the girls' athletic endeavors, including soccer and softball.

“Our dad made everything so fun for us but he also taught us that our effort and attitude is all we can control, and you have to let go of the uncontrolables,” Sidney said. “It should be playing for one purpose and that is for the Lord.”

Meanwhile, their mother, Stacey Loth, had been a competitive cross-country coach for 10 years and coached the girls in cross-country in middle school.

“They were great runners, but their first love was volleyball, so I had to let go,” Stacey said. “But they are competitive in everything they do.”

Beginning at ages 9 and 7, Sidney and Shay grew up playing volleyball together in YMCA leagues, middle school, club teams and in high school.

“Volleyball is just built into the program of my life now, but I would not change it because it is definitely a lifestyle,” Sidney said.

Known for being a powerful sister duo on the court, the girls' chemistry and communication comes easily from playing so many years together and knowing each other's styles and strengths.

“We hold each other accountable because we know each other's limits, but we also like to push ourselves,” Shay said.

Having played two years together on the Gilbert Christian varsity team, this sister dynamic will not be soon forgotten. The hard work they have put into the team shows in 3A Metro conference stats where Shay leads the conference in digs and Sidney is second on the leaderboard for assists.
 Shay (left) and Sidney (right) pose in their GCS jerseys  (Photo courtesy of Stacey Loth)“Our team knows how hard-working we are and how willing we are to put everything out there for them,” Shay said.

After spending years in the sport, the girls found their time in athletics transformational. Balancing school and athletics can be a challenge, but the girls have done so with ease by finding volleyball to be their stress release and a source of growth.

“Volleyball has grown me in every single area of my life, whether it's time-management, how to work on a team, or how to handle emotional and physical exhaustion. It just teaches you grit and resilience,” Sidney said.

Stacey’s confidence in her daughters extends beyond the court, reflecting a mother’s pride in watching her girls grow up and how their time in sports has developed their character.

“I wouldn't trade their time in the sports for the world,” Stacey said. “I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. The time-management learned, the discipline, doing the hard things, the learning to fail and still bounce back, made it all worth it, and they're a lot tougher because of it. There are so many life lessons in sports.”

Outside of volleyball, the girls are very involved with friends and in their church youth group. Playing for a Christian school has been especially meaningful to their faith.

“It's a whole different environment because when you base your whole life on one thing, and you know that it's a firm foundation, everything else revolves around that,” Sidney said. “So whether it's sports or work, you know you have people with like-minds you can lean on. It is just refreshing to be able to go to this school.”

Sienna Cathy (left), Sidney Loth (middle), and Shay Loth (right) warm up prior to their game against Bourgade Catholic . (Amanda Roche photo/AZPreps365)While this may be the last year the girls play together on the same team as they get ready to head off to potentially different colleges, the girls will forever treasure the time they had with one another.

“The people and the love for the sport keep you going,” Sidney said. “There’s going to be tough seasons, but you keep circling back to it, and you realize how much you miss it. We can't imagine our family without it.”

As they move into new phases of life, the Loth sisters will always carry the bond that athletic competition built: one of faith, family, and fierce competition.