Freshmen twins from the Czech Republic are taking the sand in Austin by storm. Anna and Kacka Pavelkova are not just two freshmen waiting for their turn – they’re making an immediate impact on Texas beach volleyball. And they’re doing it as a sibling duo.

The Pavelkovas are already one of the Longhorns’ top pairs, starting on court two in all 10 of the team’s games. That’s not something you see very often with freshmen.

“If you look at them, their height, they’re tall, they’ve played together, they’re good at the game, they’re physical. They’re playing the game at a high level at a very young age,” Texas Head Coach Stein Metzger said. “They have a really high ceiling for what they can do.”

The transition from the Czech Republic to Texas has naturally been a difficult journey for the Pavelkovas, but it’s been made easier by having one another as a blanket of support.

“For us, it was a little bit easier since we are here together,” Anna said. “When we’re missing home, it’s a little bit easier when you have your sibling here.”

Sibling dynamics are not always the smoothest. In most cases, it’s usually a love-hate relationship. Not for the Pavelkovas. It’s almost impossible to tear the two apart.

“We have a perfect relationship,” Kacka said. “We are already so used to doing everything together that it’s like, really easy to (always have) someone you know who understands you and does almost everything the same way.”

One of the ways they connect off the court is by baking delicious goods. It’s a hobby they picked up in the Czech Republic, but it has taken a back seat in Texas because their dorm doesn’t have an oven. They’re still able to utilize ovens in other people’s apartments, but not nearly as much as they’d like. But, at least, it opens the door for their next baking adventure.

“I’ve never tried to bake donuts, so maybe one day, I will try to do American donuts,” Kacka said.

Their relationship remains rock solid, and they’re slowly building that same chemistry with their new teammates. 

In Europe, the Pavelkovas had little experience playing in a team setting. It was always Anna and Kacka versus the two players across from them, and the result of the match relied solely on their play.

In college, each program puts out five pairs to represent them, meaning if a duo loses, they can still win with the help of their teammates. 

“Even if we lose, then we can still cheer on the other teams, and we can still win as a team,” Anna said. “It was a new experience for us, and it was so much fun.”

While the two are currently focused on their careers as Longhorns, it hasn’t stopped them from dreaming big.

Like many up-and-coming beach volleyball players from Europe, the Pavelkovas fantasize about representing their country on massive international stages like the Olympics and world championships.

“We have so much fun playing this sport, so we want to improve as much as we can,” Anna said. “Our goal is to try to play our best and go to the highest level we are capable of.”

It’s an ambitious goal, but if Anna and Kacka have shown us anything, it’s that they can accomplish anything with each other by their sides.