RIPON - Over the past three seasons both Mikaela and Morgan Alger have teamed up on the volleyball and basketball courts at Ripon Christian High to help provide a lot of winning. The tandem will look to continue their hard work and success at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa this fall.
The Algers signed their letters of intent to join the Defender volleyball program this upcoming season. The twins will become part of a Dordt team that finished middle-of-the pack in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. They have definite plans for the Ripon Christian standouts.
“It is with delight that we are able to welcome Mikaela to our volleyball program,” Dordt College coach Chad Hanson said. “I was hoping she would join her already committed twin sister Morgan. We are very excited to have them join our program this fall.”
The two standouts are not continuing their education on accident, completing each task placed in front of them throughout their kindergarten through graduation Ripon Christian timeline.
“Our parents have always stressed the importance of school,” Mikaela said, “as well as going to practice and working hard at whatever you do, so back in seventh and eighth grade we knew what we wanted.”
They were standouts on the volleyball and basketball courts, earning All-Southern League honors on both fronts. For now, the twins will concentrate on helping coach Hanson’s Defender volleyball program reacjh new heights and shun their basketball talents.
“Obviously I want to go out there and develop and get better,” Morgan said. “I have high expectations for myself, so I want to continue to grow and be an asset to the team.”
Both sisters have been an exemplarily example for the upcoming Ripon Christian student-athletes with aspirations to continue on to the collegiate ranks.
Mikaela balked at the idea of joining the Point Loma Sea Lions at the last minute, choosing instead to head east with her sister and childhood friends, Jordan and Jared Goslinga who will join the Defender basketball program. Both sets of twins will be studying nursing in Sioux Center.
“Once we started playing varsity our sophomore year,” Morgan said, “it was kind of like, OK, maybe we can do this in college. It was definitely what we wanted to do.
“I knew volleyball was going to be the sport I could stick to in college.”
