The Power of Two: Maple Mountain’s Pratt twins perfect compliment to each other
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- Twins Marly and Morgan Pratt pose for a photo during Girls Volleyball Senior Night at Maple Mountain High School in October of 2023.
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- Twins Marly and Morgan Pratt pose with teammate Coco Denison and the state championship trophy after winning the 2023 5A title at the UCCU Center.
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- Pratt twins Marly and Morgan (center) pose with their parents, Trent and Darice, on Girls Volleyball Senior Night at Maple Mountain in October of 2023.
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- Maple Mountain senior setter Morgan Pratt signals to her teammates during the 2023 5A girls volleyball state tournament at the UCCU Center.
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- Maple Mountain senior setter Morgan Pratt prepares to serve during the 2023 5A girls volleyball state tournament at the UCCU Center.
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- Maple Mountain senior outside hitter Marly Pratt takes a swing against Spanish Fork in a Region 7 girls volleyball match during the 2023 season.
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- Maple Mountain senior setter Morgan Pratt delivers the ball to a teammate during the 2023 5A girls volleyball state tournament at the UCCU Center.
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- Maple Mountain senior outside hitter Marly Pratt serves the ball during the 2023 5A girls volleyball state tournament at the UCCU Center.
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- Maple Mountain senior outside hitter Marly Pratt attacks the ball during the 2023 5A girls volleyball state tournament at the UCCU Center.
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- Maple Mountain senior outside hitter Marly Pratt serves the ball during the 2023 5A girls volleyball state tournament at the UCCU Center.
When they were little girls, twins Marly and Morgan Pratt had a choice: Hang out with dad at baseball practice or with mom at volleyball.
They chose wisely.
Marly and Morgan Pratt lived the dream their senior seasons, leading Maple Mountain to the school’s first-ever girls volleyball state title in 2023. Marly, an outside hitter, topped the Golden Eagles with 18 kills in the championship match and Morgan, a setter, contributed 32 assists, 21 digs and a team-best five aces in a 3-1 victory against Bountiful for the 5A title.
Twins often share things, and this year, Marly and Morgan Pratt are sharing the Daily Herald Utah Valley Player of the Year award.
“They are both captains, along with Emma Bailey,” Maple Mountain coach Adam Longmore said. “They’re best friends off the court, too, so it worked out really well. They have a certain volleyball IQ that comes from playing a long time together. They’ve played a lot of positions and have developed those skills for so many years so they have natural all-around ability. They have played 18-and-under volleyball since they were 15 years old and they have been playing at a high level. The biggest growth from them has been in character development, in being positive and encouraging their teammates. They grew in both of those areas.”
Marly finished the 2023 season with 344 kills (3.6 per set) while hitting .288 along with 49 aces, 309 digs and 106 assists. Morgan totaled 833 assists (8.8 per set), 63 aces, 65 kills while hitting .292 and 274 digs.
The Pratt family, as you might guess, is big into sports. Their father, Trent Pratt, is beginning his second year as the BYU baseball head coach. Their mother, Darice, has run several different volleyball clubs, currently the South Valley Volleyball club.
Longmore watched the twins play when they were younger after moving to Utah. When the Maple Mountain job came open three years ago, he saw an opportunity to build a strong program with the Pratt twins as the anchors.
“We’ve been in the gym ever since I can remember,” Morgan Pratt said. “Having a twin is the greatest thing because you always have someone to play with. We were always at a college or club practice. We looked up to the older girls and wanted to be like them. Seeing college girls playing volleyball is cool when you’re little and you’re around them. And Marly and I would always play volleyball in our backyard.”
“Our parents always made us play everything,” Marly Pratt said. “When we started to play volleyball, we loved it. Morgan and I are best friends and it’s so fun to grow up playing together.”
At 5-foot-8, the Pratt twins aren’t physically imposing but their high skill level and non-stop motors make them a force on the court.
“We like the underdog mentality,” Marly Pratt said. “We play with a chip on our shoulder. It fuels out fire.”
“We’ve always been undersized but that just makes us want to prove everyone wrong,” Morgan Pratt said. “We just try to be scrappy and hard workers. Maybe we’re not going to get the big block, but we’re going to dig every ball and play with the gritty mindset. We just focus on everything we can control to play bigger.”
Marly is the more outgoing twin, while Morgan describes herself as more reserved.
“I’m a people pleaser,” Morgan Pratt said. “I don’t like to make people mad or get into confrontations. I’m a super rule follower. Marly is more feisty and doesn’t really care what people think. She’s more extroverted and I’m more laid back. It’s always been that way.”
The varied personalities combine for a perfect compliment to each other on the volleyball court.
The twin sisters have chosen to play at Weber State for former BYU volleyball player Jeremiah Larsen next season. Marly will move to libero, a position she’s been playing at the club level. They will graduate early from Maple Mountain and enroll at Weber State in January to get a head start on school and with the volleyball team.
“I feel like the way Weber State runs their program, it vibes with my personality and what I’m looking for in a school,” Marly Pratt said. “The coaches hold players accountable and they work hard. We loved the girls we met on our visit. It was super fun and they are close. I really like Ogden, too.”
“Marly had some other offers, but she liked Weber State, too,” Morgan Pratt said. “It’s a dream that we still get to play together.”
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