On the Field: Double Trouble
Identical twins and Tech volleyball standouts (both 6 feet tall!) Annika and Teegan Van Gunst share their thoughts on the upcoming season—their last for the Yellow Jackets—while setting the record straight about the benefits of having a carbon-copy sibling.
Fall 2016 | Interview by Roger Slavens
Which one of you was born first and technically ranks as the big sister?
ANNIKA: I am older and, of course, I remind her of it every chance I get. What’s the fun in being older if you don’t use it to your advantage?
TEEGAN: Yeah, I guess there’s not much I can do about that.
How and when did you get involved in sports growing up? Was volleyball always your sport of choice?
ANNIKA: We’ve been playing sports since as early as we can remember. Growing up with two brothers, we were always out in the backyard together throwing the baseball or kicking the soccer ball. We were a very active family.
TEEGAN: We started playing soccer competitively when we were 7 years old. Our dad was our coach and we loved it. Volleyball didn’t come into the picture until seventh grade when our PE teacher suggested we give it a try since we were tall and athletic.
ANNIKA: I had offers to play both sports at the collegiate level and I was very close to choosing soccer over volleyball. I didn’t make up my mind until the summer before my senior year of high school and it was probably the toughest decision I’ve had to make.
What are your special twin powers?
TEEGAN: We often say the exact same things at the exact same time.
ANNIKA: Sometimes we have to plan out who is going to respond first or else we’ll probably end up saying the same thing. Also, since we’re talking about twin powers, I have some myth-busting confessions for you. No, we do not have a telepathic connection. No, we do not feel each other’s pain. And no, we don’t use each other as a mirror.
In what ways are you definitely not identical to your sister?
ANNIKA: One, I got the better looks. Two, I’m not deaf. And three, Teegan’s smarter.
TEEGAN: Can’t argue with that. But she’s definitely the weirder one.
When did you get serious about playing volleyball?
ANNIKA: Maybe our junior to senior year of high school. We started playing in club leagues, which is kind of the sign of “getting serious” in the sport, when we were 16. Until then, we had no aspirations of playing volleyball in college.
TEEGAN: I committed to play volleyball at Tech a couple months before Annika did. She was still pretty torn over whether she wanted to play soccer. For a while there I wasn’t sure if we would end up splitting ways and going to different schools, but I guess at the end of the day she knew she couldn’t live without me.
ANNIKA: Oh yeah, that’s it: One day I just realized my life would be a wreck without her—not.
Why did you both choose Tech?
ANNIKA: I think I can speak for both of us in saying that Tech offers the best all-around student-athlete experience you can ask for. Tech has such prestige as a premier academic institute but it also has incredible athletics. It’s also super nice that our family is close—we’re from Fayetteville, Ga., just 45 minutes south of Atlanta—so we’ve had tons of support from immediate family but also our church family and friends as well.
TEEGAN: Took the words right out of my mouth.
What are you studying? What do you hope to do after you graduate?
TEEGAN: We’re both studying mechanical engineering, but I have no idea where that will take me in the workforce. I’m honestly looking forward to playing volleyball as long as my body holds up. I’d love to get involved in the beach tour here in the U.S. or possibly play professionally overseas.
ANNIKA: I’m in the same boat. I absolutely love competing and playing.
What are your personal goals for the upcoming season?
ANNIKA: I want to be the best teammate I can be. Whatever my role happens to be and wherever I’m needed throughout the season, I hope I can show up big and be there for my teammates. I want to bring a positive mindset and high energy to the gym every day to make myself and my teammates better and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience of college volleyball.
TEEGAN: I’d say that as a senior, my goal is to continue the process of building a winning culture for the program. I want to walk out of the gym at the end of the season knowing I gave my all in every situation and for every one of my teammates. I want the legacy that our senior class leaves to be one of commitment and excellence—doing things the right way and realizing that it’s a journey you get to share with a special group of people.