Final Quarter feature: Alaksza twins make a splash for Pacific water polo
STOCKTON, Calif. (KTXL) – They are twin sisters, but it is easy to tell them apart.
“I am more the independent twin and she is the co-dependent,” laughs Noemi Alaksza.
She is the younger sister, by six minutes.
“(Dora) said that was the six minutes of her life, the happiest six minutes,” continued Noemi Alaksza, still laughing. “I was like, okay.”
The Alaksza sisters like to joke, but it is no joke what they have accomplished in the pool.
They are from Hungary, where they played together on a club team for 13 years. They won a bronze medal together playing for their country.
Now, they are sophomores at Pacific. And Dora Alaksza is the Tigers’ leading scorer, with 84 goals in the regular season.
“Seeing our team, I knew I would be a leading goal-scorer,” said Dora Alaksza. “And I have to step up on offense, mostly…I like to see how, towards the end of the season, most people are stepping up as I am guarded more heavily.”
Adds Candice Vorbeck, Pacific’s head women’s water polo coach, “I think she understood her role and her need to step up this year, especially with the seniors and graduate students who left last year. So the expectation really was that she step up and take command of the offense.”
Meanwhile, Noemi Alaksza has contributed on offense for Pacific. However, her role on the team is different than her sister’s role.
“She’s very defensive-minded and in our sport especially, center defenders and people that are really talented at defense typically go overlooked,” said Vorbeck of Noemi Alaksza. “Which can be really challenging. So we talk about it.”
They also talk about differences outside of the water, such as their majors.
“It’s always been a competition for us, you know, who is the hardest worker,” smiled Noemi Alaksza. “I chose a bio major and I love it. She chose the psych major, she also loves it.”
Said Dora Alaksza, “I like how Pacific prioritizes being a student over being an athlete. Of course, both of them are important.
“But, as my dad always taught me, school is first and then comes water polo.”
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