Dove Creek prides itself on the various family lineages that have produced standout siblings, one generation after the next. The constant influx of new talent has made the rest of the San Juan Basin League feel like they’re seeing déjà vu.
Or in the case of the Gatlins, like they’re seeing double.
For the past four years, twin sisters Kalie and Kylie Gatlin have excelled within the tradition rich Dove Creek volleyball and basketball programs, elevating the Bulldogs to incredible heights.
Now, with the sunset of their high school playing days on the horizon, the Gatlins are in the midst of another memorable run, pursuing a fitting final chapter to their storybook careers.
Dove Creek volleyball have posted their third straight 20-win season, and with the caveat of the COVID-shortened freshman campaign for the Gatlins, they likely would have threatened to become the first Dove Creek class to collect 100 victories over the course of the careers.
Fair to say, three league titles and a pair of 1A state tournament appearances so far are pretty nice consolation. A third straight visit to the final 12 in Denver sits high on the list of Bulldog priorities as Dove Creek enters into the high-leverage matches remaining on the schedule.
Fourth-year head coach Lacey Murphy has gotten to witness their full span of high school volleyball from the first days on the varsity court. “They’re just the ultimate competitors,” said Murphy of the twin sisters, “they know how to make the smart play – they’re very good at seeing the court.”
When the matches get tougher, that’s when Murphy sees the Gatlins at their best. “They’re crunchtime players, it seems like they feed off of playing tight contests.”
The Gatlin duo have created one of the most lethal attacking combinations in the small school ranks, with Kalie providing the assists on most of Kylie’s 250-plus kills.
In their two different roles on the court, Kylie notes that the setter and outside hitter have a different mentality, including responses to mistakes. “When she [Kalie] messes up, she’ll get over it and tries changing things, and I’ll find myself doing the same thing over again,” said Kylie with a laugh.
It’s a fire from Kylie that Murphy recognizes has made her one of the best outside hitters in the 1A classification.
Meanwhile, for Kalie, the even-keeled approach serves her well with all of her teammates relying on her to put them in the best position for a kill. “Getting upset about the last play doesn’t fix anything, it’s just a matter of moving on to the next one – and you know that it’ll work.”
Kalie surpassed both 2,500 assists and 1,000 digs for her career in a late-season victory, both indicators of her skills on defense and in facilitating the attack.
“I’ve been setting my whole life,” added Kalie, “and it always feels good when I’m able to put my teammates in a good position for a kill.”
For the ‘Dogs, their presence has only been part of the bigger picture of success. Junior Ralynn Hickman has benefited from Kalie’s setting prowess, leading the team in kills, while senior Halee Beanland has emerged as a strong third option for Dove Creek in attack.
“Kalie and Kylie have gotten the younger players to come along with them, and they do it with actions rather than words,” said Murphy of the way in which the Gatlins have taken on the leadership role in their senior year.
“We’ve had to learn over the past four years how to be leaders,” said Kylie, “and the underclassmen have pushed themselves how to be better – and they’ve taken the steps that they need to become leaders themselves when we leave.”
“It’s come from stepping up and showing what we can do,” added Kalie.
Murphy’s Bulldogs cruised to victory over Montezuma-Cortez in their final road match of the regular season. For stretches of the match, the Gatlins willed the ‘Dogs to pull away from a tough battle from M-CHS, finishing the sweep, 25-21, 25-18, 25-17. Dove Creek followed it up with a sweep of Ignacio on the following morning, helping the Bulldogs reach the 20-win plateau for the third straight year.
Dove Creek winds down the regular season with a celebration of their trio of seniors in their home finale against Ridgway on Oct. 27. From there, the Bulldogs will turn their focus onto regional play, with the hopes that their home court will help lift them back to the Denver Coliseum in the second weekend of November.
