St. Mary’s senior Chloe Donnelly sprang up to hit the volleyball and her sister leapt to meet her. Only, freshman Shae Donnelly jumped from the other side of the net, in Severn maroon and white.
Chloe felt she had to beat her little — albeit a head taller – sister. Saints coach Sarah Heary reported the senior passionately repeating “we have to win” before the scrimmage.
Though the contest wouldn’t count toward either team’s records, it would be the only chance for St. Mary’s, a member of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference, and Severn, newly part of the C, to contest a rivalry match. It would also be the Donnellys first and last chance to battle each other on a varsity floor.
“I’m so happy I got to play her,” Chloe said.
The Donnelly sisters never attended different schools, from their time at St. Mary’s Elementary to different schools around the country as their father, Chad, moved with his Navy job. But when it came time for Shae to pick her school, she all but instantly fell for the Admirals team. Her older sister could see it – she “fit.”
“I convinced her to go,” Chloe said. “She got a huge scholarship. She’s gonna start on varsity as a freshman. She’s gonna do amazing there.”
Early in the first set, Shae slammed a pair of blocks at the feet of her sister and her teammates. The rivals traded fragile leads back and forth; both sisters shielded the net and buoyed assists to the other girls. Sometimes, the two would meet face-to-face – and there was no flicker of familial friendliness when it happened.
“I was trying to show her that I’m better,” Shae said. “That she trained me to be better.”
Parents Jamie and Chad watched their daughters compete in split-sewn maroon and royal blue shirts. The girls’ grandmother sewed the heraldic-looking garments together. Jamie printed her daughter’s numbers and “go Shae; go Chloe” onto their respective sides.
Stress ran through her the entire match, even as another parent leaned over and said, “You can’t lose.”
“I’m a mom. Of course I wanted them to be together on the same team, at the same school,” Jamie said. “But we got grandma and grandpa coming to some games. We divide and conquer as much as we can. I think the girls know how much we support them – and they support each other.”
As soon as the teams finalized 2025 schedules, the sisters studied each other’s to see when they could be in the stands, cheering the other on.
Except for this one night.
By the third set, Chloe’s hopes of beating her sister were points away from coming true. St. Mary’s clinched the first two sets and though the Admirals staged a rally in the third, the Saints teetered a few points away from a sweep.
Severn grabbed a few late points back, trying to keep the game going as long as it could. The volleyball popped above the net and Shae chased it. So did Chloe. Only, Chloe jumped just a bit higher.
She struck the ball back on Severn’s side.
“I want her to be better than me,” Chloe said. “But yeah, beating my taller little sister on the joust was a very happy moment for me.”
Have a sports tip? Contact Katherine Fominykh at kfominykh@baltsun.com or DM @capgazsports on Instagram.
