The Big East must be seeing double against the Pirates.
Twin sisters Shelbey and Stacey Manthorpe have already made their mark on the court for the Seton Hall volleyball team.
Freshmen outside/opposite side hitter Stacey is currently second on the team in kills, and freshmen setter Shelbey set a school record in the win at USF by recording the first ever triple-double in Seton Hall volleyball history.
The sister tandem joined the Pirates after serving as four-year starters and co-captains the last two years at Merion Mercy Academy in Merion Station, Pa and playing for club team Synergy.
In high school, both players garnered numerous honors, including being named to their All-District and All-State teams several times, and Shelbey was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year last year.
According to Shelbey Manthorpe, they chose to play at Seton Hall because of its proximity to home.
"Seton Hall is only about two hours away from home, so it's close enough for our family and friends to come and see us play," Shelbey said.
The inspiration to play volleyball came from their cousin, Shelbey said.
"We played soccer, softball and ran track when we were younger, but we really wanted to be like her and stuck with volleyball."
The Manthorpes, who have been playing volleyball since they were eight, are identical twins who are hard to tell apart when not in uniform. Some of their few distinguishing characteristics are that Stacey is left-handed, while Shelbey is right-handed and has a freckle.
Stacey Manthorpe said that they also have a younger brother and sister who are fraternal twins.
Stacey also said that being twin sisters, they are very close and work well together on the court.
"We're always on the same page and know what each other is doing, so we communicate very well," Stacey said.
The transition to Seton Hall for Stacey and Shelbey has been a relatively smooth one, as the upper classmen have helped them adjust to life in the Big East.
"It has been very busy this semester, since we practice and travel a lot for games," Stacey said. But our teammates have helped us out a lot, and told us we will have a little more time to relax in the spring when the season is over."
Outside of volleyball, the sisters are big fans of the FOX show Glee, and are proud supporters of their home-state Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies. Chinese food is Stacey's favorite, while Shelbey prefers Mexican food, especially tacos.
Both Shelbey and Stacey are both undecided of their academic majors, but both wish to coach volleyball in the future.
"If our teams ever had to play each other, mine would definitely win," Shelbey said.
Their desire to coach is a testament to their leadership qualities and competitive spirit. Volleyball head coach Kris Zeiter said Shelbey and Stacey have made his life much easier this season.
"They communicate so well on the court, too well sometimes," Zeiter said.
While they may look alike, Zeiter says their styles of play on the court are very different and complement each other.
The winning pedigree that the Manthorpes bring to the Pirates impacts the team greatly, according to Zeiter.
"They both played at the highest club level, and won four state championships in high school. Bringing in winners rubs off on everyone."
Zeiter believes Shelbey and Stacey can do great things in their time here at Seton Hall.
"I believe they can do things in their careers that have never been done before. I think they can challenge for and possibly win a Big East championship."
Chris Shedlock can be reached at chris.shedlock@student.shu.edu
