MERION STATION, PA. - Following a long, grueling school year that includes a demanding athletics schedule, the summer months are theoretically a time to relax and unwind. This is often not the case for SHU student-athletes as many remain active both on and off the playing surface.

Pirate Postcards features a new student-athlete each week, offering a look into how they are spending their time away from South Orange.

This week, SHUPirates.com received word from two of the newest standouts in the Seton Hall athletics community, volleyball's Shelbey Manthorpe and Stacey Manthorpe.

The pair of twin sisters has returned to their hometown for the time being, fresh off a stellar freshman campaign during which they both put their stamp on an already emergent program.

Shelbey, a setter, was named Seton Hall Freshman Female Student-Athlete of the Year following a debut season that saw her etch her name into the SHU record book. She earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors after finishing the year tied for the second most triple-doubles in the nation with four.

Prior to 2011, no SHU player in program history had recorded a single triple-double.

Shelbey also recorded a team-high 16 double-doubles, led the team in assists (961) and tied for the team lead with a .264 attacking percentage.

Playing as an opposite side/outside hitter, Stacey made a tremendous impact during her inaugural season as a Pirate as well. She finished second on the squad in kills (281) and points (317) while ranking third on the team with 50 assists and five double-doubles of her own.

Together, they helped the Pirates set a new school record with eight BIG EAST victories on the way to earning the program's third straight BIG EAST Championship berth.

Along the way, the Manthorpe sisters twice set career-highs in the same category during the same match. At Marquette, Shelbey set a personal best with seven blocks and Stacey recorded a season-high five rejections. The two then both set career marks in digs (Shelbey - 23, Stacey - 22) in a key win over Villanova.

Playing together and playing well are things that are very familiar to the Merion Station natives. Their familiarity with each other however, is a subtle part of what makes them successful.

While there is no questioning their competitiveness on the volleyball court, the two have built a relationship based on cooperation and support that not only quells any notion of a sibling rivalry, but makes them an extremely formidable duo.

Shelbey and Stacey recently checked-in with SHUPirates.com to discuss their summer activities, playing together and to provide a look towards the 2012 season.

Shelbey on the pair's summer plans:

We don't have anything big planned for our time off. We plan to go to the shore and the Pocono Mountains for a couple of weeks.  Because of our hectic schedules during the year, Stacey and I want to spend as much time with our family as we can.  We also want to make sure we can do some volunteer work during the summer months because it is hard to do it when we are at school.  Since we've been home, Stacey and I have already volunteered at our little brother's school.

Stacey on the twins' summer training regimen:

Shelbey and I go to the gym to do cardio and the workouts our strength & condition coach Angelo [Gingerelli] has given the volleyball team for the summer.  We also play volleyball at our old club's practices and with our cousins.

Shelbey on the origins of the Manthorpe partnership on the volleyball court:

We started playing volleyball together in the third grade. We played outside together every day after school. We played on our first team together in the fourth grade because our grade school didn't have enough fifth and sixth graders and we were the tallest ones in our class.

Shelbey on how important playing together was in choosing where to attend college:

Playing together was definitely one of the major decisions Stacey and I had to make when choosing a college. We were always told growing up that we played best when we played together. We also wanted to stay kind of close to home so that we could go home for holidays. Seton Hall University was a perfect fit for us because we could play together, it was close to home, and my parents could watch us. 

Stacey on the history (or lack thereof) of Manthorpe vs. Manthorpe:

We have never officially played against each other but when we were younger our coaches would always try to pin us against each other to see what would happen. They would make us run races and Shelbey and I would always make sure we would tie. Shelbey and I are not competitive with each other. We work with each other not against each other, wanting each other to succeed. When Shelbey wins awards, I am proud to be called her sister.

Stacey on how their relationship aids their play on the court:

For me, having my twin on the court with me helps me out a lot.  She is able to push me to be the best volleyball player I can be and I don't want to let her or my teammates down.  It is nice knowing that there is someone on the team that has complete faith in me 
when we are playing in tough matches.