a t h l e t i c s
Chin Twins give volleyball a double boost
Annemarie Chin
Wavie Chin
Annemarie and Wavie Chin caused volleyball fans to see double this year. The sisters are twins and freshmen on the team, and they stepped right in to the starting lineup, solidifying the Panthers’ backline. Despite their similarities in appearance, the sisters took two very different paths that led them to HPU. Head volleyball coach Jason Oliver watched Annemarie and Wavie play in 70
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Florida and immediately contacted them to visit High Point. At the beginning of their junior year of high school, the Chin family made the trip to North Carolina. Annemarie knew right away she was coming to High Point, but for Wavie the decision was more difficult. “I committed one week after my visit,” says Annemarie. “I wanted to commit sooner but my parents wanted me to wait and make sure it was really the right decision. There was no doubt in my mind. At the same time I knew Wavie was unsure and that was the hardest part, not knowing if we would be together.” Wavie wasn’t just unsure about where to attend college, she was unsure if she even wanted to play volleyball. She thought about quitting before her sophomore year of high school. She stuck with it but made up her mind not to play club volleyball that year. When the club tryout came around, she went with Annemarie, just for moral support, but ended up trying out and making the team. “Annemarie asked me to warm up with her and I got sucked back in,” says Wavie. “I look back now and realize it was just one of those times where you hit a wall. You either have to get through it or quit. I am so glad I didn’t quit and got through that. Now I know I can push through anything.” It took three months after Annemarie committed to HPU for Wavie to decide she was also attending High Point. The story of Wavie telling Annemarie about her decision will be a go-to family story for years. “I was in the shower,” says Annemarie. “She yelled it to me while I was in the shower. I wanted to hug her and jump around but all I could do was yell back from the shower.” The different paths they took to
High Point really symbolize how different they are as people. “People assume we are exactly the same because we’re twins,” says Wavie. “But really we couldn’t be more different. I am extroverted while Annemarie is introverted. I am spontaneous and Annemarie is always on schedule. Annemarie is very artistic and I can’t draw a stick figure. Volleyball is really the only thing we have together.” They helped HPU to a 20-11 season as freshmen, both playing in every match. Annemarie took over the starting libero role early in the season and Wavie was a defensive specialist for the Panthers. Their two proud parents were at nearly every game to support them. “It is easy to tell which of our parents we are similar to by watching them in the stands,” says Annemarie. “Mom is always yelling and cheering and very involved in the game. Wavie is just like her. Dad sits quietly, watching but not saying much. I get my quiet nature from him. They balance each other out perfectly, just like Wavie and I do.” Annemarie and Wavie have been through every moment of their volleyball careers together, from going 25-0 on their junior varsity team to winning a state championship their senior year at Leon High School. But this season, they encountered a first at High Point. Annemarie got sick before High Point’s match against Coastal Carolina in September, and it forced her out of the starting lineup. Ready to step in to the starting role was her sister, Wavie. “It was strange because I had never been on the court without her,” says Wavie. “She had played without me if she was starting and I wasn’t, but never the other way around.” “She played great,” says Annemarie. “I was really proud of her.” ■ High Point University Magazine