Sisters share court for the first time on No. 1 ranked GVSU basketball team

With a five-year age gap between them, Rylie and MacKenzie Bisballe never had the chance to play organized basketball together growing up. When Rylie was a senior in high school, MacKenzie was entering eighth grade.

During Rylie’s first year at GVSU, the NCAA granted college athletes an extra year of eligibility. That extra year of eligibility has provided the Bisballe sisters with the opportunity to play together on Grand Valley’s women’s basketball team.

“It’s really fun for me,” Rylie said about playing on the same team as her sister. “I’ve enjoyed just trying to help her learn what coaches teach us here and just trying to help her here for her first year.”

Rylie’s excitement to finally play on the same team as her sister is shared by the younger MacKenzie.

“It’s awesome because, as a young kid watching her, I traveled to her AAU tournaments and watched her play. So, actually getting to play with her is pretty cool,” MacKenzie said.

While they never had the opportunity to play organized basketball together before MacKenzie joined GVSU’s team, the sisters often played together with their cousins and brother at home in Lake City. The sisters said the games got competitive, but having other relatives as teammates and opponents prevented them from being one-sided.

This season, the GVSU women’s basketball team is enjoying a 22-1 season and is the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II. The sisters have contributed to the team’s success, playing in all 23 of the team’s games so far this season.

“They’re both really good defenders,” head coach Mike Williams said. “Rylie is one of the best defenders and Kenzie is right there already. They have the size and work hard and have great instincts defensively.”

In her fifth season, Rylie leads the team in scoring, assists and rebounding, averaging 13 points, 2.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Coming off the bench, MacKenzie is third on the team in minutes played per game. She averages 9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1 steal per game, all within the team’s top six. Her 1.4 blocks per game lead the team overall as well.

Beyond the box score numbers, Williams noted the importance of Rylie’s leadership on the court.

“She’s a great communicator, directing people,” Williams said. “It’s been a great asset for her to use her voice because she does know what’s going on. She’s been such a big piece of our puzzle for so many years.”

Williams said that communication skill is something Rylie grew into over the years. When she first joined the team, she was more reserved. He has noticed MacKenzie is very vocal in her first year. He said he believes this has helped her adjust quickly to the college game.

MacKenzie is playing well as a freshman, and she is not afraid to lean on her older sister to improve and learn.

“She definitely helps me with reminders of things I need to do and just keeps me motivated,” MacKenzie said.

Rylie said she tries to share teaching moments with her sister when she notices mistakes that she made early in her collegiate career.

“I try to tell her ‘You’ve got it. This is what you’ve got to do.' But I definitely made those mistakes too,” Rylie said. “I think we’ve been put in similar situations. My first year, I came in and played some minutes. Now she is, so I’m just trying to help her get through that.”

The Bisballes have a close relationship with each other. Off the court, the sisters cook meals together and hang out at least a couple of times a week. Their close relationship is something coach Williams has noticed as well.

“It’s amazing how close they are. They’re together a lot,” he said. “They got a chance to play together for one year which I think was really cool for both of them.”

The GVSU Women's Basketball team has an upcoming two-game home stand against Lake Superior State University on Thursday Feb. 6 and Ferris State University on Saturday Feb. 8.