So what sport’s better, volleyball or soccer? For the Cedar Park Christian Dufenhorst sisters, Cydnee is set with volleyball and Danielle kicks in with soccer.
Both girls have played each sport over the years, but they’re dedicated to the roles they now play for the Eagles. Like sisters often do, they playfully butt heads about what’s best in their lives. And on the athletic front, each shares a passionate opinion about their sport of choice.
“I think we have a more tight-knit team than soccer would. We have a lot more chemistry with each other, and you have to to play volleyball — otherwise if you mess up, then the whole play is jeopardized,” senior outside hitter/right sider Cydnee said. “You have to place the ball, and the setter has to set to the perfect person, otherwise they’ll get blocked.”
Added sophomore defender Danielle on soccer: “I think it’s just more fun because it’s not confined in a little box. It’s like a thinking game — volleyball is probably a thinking game, too. When your body gets tired, it just goes to mental … you keep your body going.”
Athletics run strong in the Dufenhorst family, starting with mom Michelle and dad David, who covered the sporting landscape of volleyball, cross country, football, basketball and track during their high-school years.
Cydnee and Danielle are both impact players on their squads, according to their coaches Julie Nelson, volleyball, and Ben Waggoner, soccer. Cydnee was a 1A Emerald City League second-teamer and helped lead the Eagles to a tri-district title and state appearance last year. For Danielle, she’s a force at defense and competes for the Crossfire Premier select program. In addition, both girls are strong track-and-field athletes in the relays, throws, jumps and runs for the reigning league champs.
And they’re each other’s biggest fan to boot.
“We’re really supportive of each other. Our relationship at home, of course sisters always have their fights … we get along so well for being sisters. We just have a lot of fun together,” said Cydnee, laughing about the girls sometimes racing each other up the stairs at home, fighting over a hairbrush or boxing each other out to get in the bathroom first.
“It’s very competitive and we’re always pushing each other to do the best we can,” said Danielle, a second-year varsity player. “And it’s nice to always (know), ‘Oh yeah, my sister’s always gonna be there for my games and I’m always gonna be there for her games.’”
So, to continue the sisterly competition: who’s the loudest screamer at the games?
“Usually me and my mom are the loudest, for sure,” said Cydnee, a fourth-year varsity player.
While the girls are definitely alike in their perseverance to do well in every sport they tackle, they also agree that they’ve carved out their own identities by playing different fall sports, such as soccer and volleyball.
“We find different types of friends in the teams we play on,” Cydnee said. “If we had played the exact same sports and did the same exact things, we’d be like twins, and no one could tell us apart.”
As for musical tastes, Danielle prefers the loud, alternative-rock sounds of The Killers while Cydnee enjoys the softer side of things like U2, The Beatles and “upbeat and peppy songs.”
On the school front, Cydnee’s favorite classes are current world issues, Bible studies and math. “I actually have fun with math, which I know Dan hates,” she said.
And Danielle’s classes of choice? “No math … I like Spanish and science — I just like learning about the world and how stuff works.”
Whatever the case, both Dufenhorsts are making things happen for their teams, whether it’s scoring points, giving their teammates tips or simply enjoying the Cedar Park Christian sports and school scene.
Back at their Woodinville home, however, the head-to-head matchups for hairbrushes and the like will surely continue. But there’s a bit of a discrepancy about who the actual victor is during those battles.
With laughter in the air, Cydnee first said that she wins, but then — sort of — concedes the title to Danielle: “Actually, she wins a lot of them, she’s actually very physical and I don’t wanna hurt her and then me get in trouble with the parents.”
Maybe they can just call it a tie.
Extra hits
On playing at Cedar Park:
Cydnee: “When I first came on my freshman year, I was kind of like the shy little unsocial one, and luckily we had a great group of seniors that really reached out to me. And so, throughout the years, I’ve really progressed socially, and of course my skills have gotten a lot better being on a high-competitive team. This year, our girls love each other so much, and it’s just a lot of fun to play with them.”
Danielle: “We’re just one big group, we’re all just super-friendly. People come to me and ask questions, (and I say) ‘Oh yeah, here’s some help.’ People are all just willing to do stuff — they don’t have to be pushed to do the best, they wanna do the best by themselves.”
