St. Charles East coach Jennie Kull has seen a lot in her 12 years as the Saints' volleyball coach.
Kull has coached four state qualifying teams at the school, including a state championship team in 2001 and last year's third-place squad. She's celebrated over 350 victories during that time and has never once finished with a record below .500, all while graduating countless players who have gone on to play at the next level.
Up until this season, however, Kull had never had the opportunity to coach a pair of sisters at the same time.
That all changed when freshman Meghan Niski joined her sister, Caroline, a junior, on the Saints' roster this season.
But these are not your normal sisters.
Despite their size -- both are listed at 5-foot-9 -- the Niski sisters have packed quite a wallop on the outside for the state-bound Saints, combining to post over 500 kills this year.
Caroline, who emerged as one of the area's top outside hitters last season, was at it again this season, racking up a team-high 293 kills. Meghan also shined in her first season on the big stage, tallying 217 kills.
"I've never coached sisters before, but they have been great for each other and the team," said Kull, whose Saints will take on Evanston at 4:30 today in a semifinal match at Redbird Arena. "They are similar, but very different. Caroline is more reserved. She is competitive, but more in a quiet way."
"Meghan is more outwardly competitive. She lets her emotions show a little more and you can see that in her demeanor."
Like their differences, the similarities between the two are also easily recognizable on the court.
In addition to their great leaping ability, both sisters have rare vision that allows them to pick and choose where they want to place the ball while still hanging in the air, whether it's a kill attempt down the line, across the court or up the middle.
"They both jump extremely well and have the ability to find the open holes wherever they are at," Kull said. "It's a lot of natural abilities, but they are both very bright, smart players who are also very athletic."
Caroline began playing volleyball competitively as a fifth grader. But it wasn't her first love.
"I played basketball and volleyball, but I liked basketball a lot better," said Caroline, who attended Saint Patrick's Catholic Middle School in St. Charles. "Volleyball just kind of grew on me. Then I met coach (Kull) while I was playing for a feeder team.
"At the time I didn't really know if I was going to go to East, but once I met her I knew I belonged there."
Caroline would eventually crack the Saints' starting lineup as a sophomore and she proved to be a more than just a sidekick to Mattie Boyd, who has since graduated, finishing second on the team in kills (228).
Her breakout season culminated with a trip to the State Finals, a memorable opportunity in itself for any high school athlete.
"Getting to the (State Finals) last year was an amazing experience and it was something I will never forget," Caroline said. "It was great to share that with all my teammates."
Last week, Caroline got to feel that same joy all over again after the Saints defeated Crystal Lake South in three games to earn a return trip Downstate.
However, this time the feeling was just a little bit different. Among the teammates she began embracing immediately after the match was her sister, Meghan.
"It was really cool to share that moment with her," Caroline said. "Last year (Meghan) was sitting in the stands watching with my parents and this year she's right beside me and we are celebrating together."
The journey has also been equally special for Meghan, who began the season questioning if she would even make the Saints' varsity roster.
Kull had heard about Meghan's volleyball skills through the grapevine, but didn't totally know what to expect until she arrived for the first day of practice. However, it didn't take long for Kull to recognize a special talent in its early stages.
"From Day 1 she didn't look like a freshman out there," said Kull, who has only had three freshman play for her in her time at the school, including two this year with Niski and libero Maisey Mulvey. "I didn't know what to expect, but she did an exceptional job in tryouts and earned her way onto the team."
Unlike most freshmen, Meghan also had the support from her older sister to comfort her in times of uncertainty.
"At the beginning of the season all of this seemed so far away and now we are living a dream together," Meghan said. "Having my sister there with me has helped me learn how to play with older players. It's just a great feeling knowing someone is always going to be there for me.
"This whole season has been so amazing, but it's been even more cool since I get to spend it with my sister."
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