The Mt. Lebanon High School girls' volleyball team has spent the entire 2009 season atop the WPIAL and Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association rankings.

The Dadowski family has played a big part in that success.

"I use an eight-player rotation and three of my girls are sisters," Mt. Lebanon coach Dawn Begor said. "We wouldn't be in the position we are now without the contribution of the Dadowski sisters."

All three are underclassmen. Twins Caroline and Laura are sophomores, while Natalie is a year older.

"The girls were born 11 months apart," Begor said. "I've never had twins [on a team] before, but I have had more than three sisters on the team at the same time. Their older sister, Kirsten [Dadowski], was a member of our varsity team last year. She is now attending John Carroll University."

Mt. Lebanon posted a perfect 16-0 record during the regular season and was seeded No. 1 in the 15-team WPIAL Class AAA bracket. The Blue Devils received a bye in the first round, then advanced to the semifinals with Tuesday's 3-1 win against Shaler Area.

"Our goal is to win the WPIAL title," said Caroline Dadowski, a 5-4 sophomore libero. "Losing in the semifinals last year was a real disappointment. We don't want to let that happen again."

Mt. Lebanon was seeded No. 2 in last year's bracket, but fell short of a title berth after a 3-0 loss to No. 3 seed and eventual champion North Allegheny in the semifinals.

"The twins are just adorable," Begor said. "They are the two most precious little girls. They are definitely special."

Laura Dadowski, the other twin, is a 5-5 sophomore outside hitter who was voted a third-team WPIAL All-Star last year as a freshman.

"Laura may be small, but she can jump out of the gym," Begor said. "She plays much bigger than her actual size."

Laura is the older of the twins.

"Laura is two minutes older than me," said Caroline Dadowski. "She throws that in my face all the time."

Laura Dadowski doesn't let her height become an issue. In fact, she enjoys the challenge of facing taller players.

"I am shorter than most of the hitters and blockers I face, but I don't let it bother me," said Laura Dadowski, who follows the idiom of Mark Twain. "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

Natalie Dadowski is a 5-5 junior defensive specialist, who plays the role of serving specialist.

"I come into serve when [teammate] Rebecca Riemer rotates to the back row," Natalie Dadowski said. "I don't get as much playing time as the twins, but they are always willing to help me."

With four volleyball playing sisters, its a surprise that their parents, Jess and Rene Dadowski, are not former players.

"My aunt played volleyball, but she didn't have an influence on any of us," Caroline Dadowski said. "Kirsten started playing in fifth grade and we all followed suit. It was pretty neat having all four of us playing on the same team last year."

The Dadowski sisters consider their Blue Devils teammates as an extended family.

"We are a very close-knit team," Natalie Dadowski said. "Anytime any player needs support, the rest of the team is there for them. There's a lot of pressure being the No. 1 team all year. I think we've dealt with it well. We've worked very hard to reach our goal of winning a WPIAL title."

Caroline Dadowski enjoys her role as the Blue Devils libero.

"I used to be a setter until I moved up to the varsity last year," Caroline Dadowski said. "Coach switched me to libero and I've enjoyed it more than setting."

The Dadowski sisters love for volleyball doesn't end when they leave Mt. Lebanon High School.

"When we get home, we often play in the driveway or in the basement," Laura Dadowski said. "But when we're in the basement, we have to play on our knees. It's so awesome to have my sisters playing with me on the varsity."

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