Proper Perspective
  Sisters Maintain Strong Relationship Through Different Roles with Lady Loboes
          By Chris Gove, Staff Writer ~ ~ Odessa American, November 11, 2005

MONAHANS  Camilla Cutbirth has been a shining example for her Monahans High School volleyball teammates and her four younger sisters all at once.
           
The only thing is, that means the senior knows there’s a high possibility she might not get off the bench to see the light of playing in a match again this season — and she has to like it.

All the while, younger sister Catherine — a junior outside hitter — probably won’t step off the floor for the Lady Loboes (39-3) as they bid for a repeat Class 3A state championship.

“I’m just in awe of that,” Monahans head coach Patty Dominguez said.  “I don’t know that I would’ve been as gracious.  I would’ve probably been very antagonistic toward my sister.”

Never has that been the case with these sisters, however, ever since Catherine played her way into a starting role as a sophomore during Monahans’ stirring run to the 2004 Class 3A state title.

She essentially earned a position that had been vacated when Camilla suffered a dislocated shoulder early last season.

Much of the Lady Loboes lineup was in flux since only two players — Brittany Hughes and Candace Swarb — had much varsity experience.

Still, it could have been an explosive and hurtful time to see a younger sibling thrive in such a situation.

“When I dislocated my shoulder I had a starting position, but it was difficult to work back into that and I never got back quite to where I was,” Camilla said.  “It’s great watching (Catherine) success on the floor — she’s really good.  I wasn’t really surprised at all because she just doesn’t know how to step back and be second.  She’s very determined.”

Dominguez wasn’t the only person curious to see how the relationship would hold up between the sisters.

Parents David and Pattie Cutbirth certainly felt the mixed emotions of watching one daughter thrive — almost in the place of the other.

“It’s hard from a parent’s point of view,” David Cutbirth said.  “You’re worried about a sibling rivalry or a problem, but both of them have handled it great.

“Those two are really neat.  They’re 22 months apart and they’ve always gotten along really good.  It’s been that way since they were little kids.”

In fact, Pattie Cutbirth remembers Camilla expressing excitement at her little sister’s accomplishments — and even going so far as to defend her against naysayers.

“She just went with it and played when she could,” Pattie Cutbirth said.  "It's always worried me, because Catherine's always been just a very strong athlete.  It's often been said that Catherine's the older one and she's always got to go, 'No, I'm not."  Sometimes it just happens that way."

Catherine Cutbirth probably wouldn't be a standout athlete if it wasn't for the inspiration of her older sister.

She remembers being a seventh grader and watching Camilla play on the eighth-grade teams in Monahans, aspiring to be just that cool.

"All hail the eighth-graders," Catherine said with a laugh.

Still, she knows it was a sensitive situation and is glad it hasn't caused any tension.

"It's just she respects me and I respect her as a sister,"  Catherine said.  "Sometimes we have things we're good at and sometimes we're better as it than the other.

"We're OK with it.  It's just a sister thing and we're not jealous or anything."

And it's not like Camilla never gets to play.

The senior, who plans to major pre-law upon high school graduation, is the leader of the scout team that prepares the team for each match.

Now in the postseason, that task becomes more important than ever.

"I love being here and being on the scout team and playing," Camilla said.  "They wouldn't be as good as they are without the scout team on the other side of the net, so we have to be good, too."

Dominguez, in fact, said "On the scout team, she tears us up."

If anything, that is something that has taught David a lesson.

"Camilla puts out 100 percent effort whether she gets to play (in matches) or not," he said.  "I think that's one of the things that inspires Catherine is she see her sister, who know she's probably going to be sitting on the bench, but she's putting out 100 percent all the time."