Auburn Riverside’s Calley Heilborn and Anna Maracich still celebrate each point as if volleyball season did not end more than four months ago.

The only difference for the sophomores is their exaltations are in sunlight – or perhaps under cloud cover – rather than on an enclosed court surrounded by a raucous crowd.

Not that it makes a difference to them.

“If it’s a really good point, we get a little bit crazy,” Maracich said. “We’re known for our chest bumps.”

This the first year Heilborn and Maracich – the Ravens’ No. 1 doubles team – has paired together on the tennis court. But Maracich said the fit is natural because they have been best friends since meeting as seventh-graders at Mt. Baker Middle School.

“We’re the exact same person for sure,” she said. “We’re both really goofy and we don’t take things too seriously.”

Well, except for competition.

Auburn Riverside coach Bruce Diehl said both are serious about that.

“Anna just wants to do everything that Calley does,” he said. “She can’t stand it that Calley might be better at something. They have a really nice, friendly competition between them. It makes them both better.”

Diehl said that was apparent during the winter when both Heilborn and Maracich were outside as he walked to his vehicle at the end of the school day. For 12 consecutive weeks, both athletes worked on box jumps for an hour a day with an eye toward improving their vertical leap. Neither had exact figures for how many strides they made, but both felt their leaping ability improved.

Diehl had a different takeaway from the exercise.

“Nobody is forcing them to do it,” he said. “They just want to make themselves better for tennis and volleyball.”

Both believe those workouts will enable them to cover more space on the court – not that range has been an issue for either athlete. Heilborn, whom Diehl has dubbed, “Condor,” is 6 feet tall, while Maracich is just two inches shorter.

“I think that’s why we’ve gotten a lot stronger,” Maracich said. “When we attack the net, we can cover basically the whole (court).”

Diehl does not see a detriment to the South Puget Sound League 3A’s “tallest doubles team.” He said he has seen taller players struggle on low balls, but Heilborn and Maracich are well served there because of their volleyball experience. The only downside to that, Diehl said, is related to training players with a different motion to serve the ball in tennis.

But he said that is not a significant challenge for either because of their past playing experience. In particular, Heilborn has grown up around the sport. She said she has held a racket for as long as she can remember and competed against her older sister, Carson, who now plays volleyball at the University of New Mexico. The elder Heilborn and Lindsey Sanborn served as the Ravens’ top doubles team last season.

“She’s just a younger version of Carson,” Diehl said.

Similar to her sister, Heilborn prefers to play doubles.

“I just like being with someone on the court more,” she said. “It’s funner to see them succeed and cheer for each other.”

At least when that opportunity is available. Too often, Auburn Riverside players have been forced into the school’s gym to practice because of record rainfall in the area.

“We never get to groundstroke or serve,” Heilborn said. “It’s really hard.”

And about the only element that can dampen their moods.