Twins Nick and Emily Turner ’26 have earned numerous accolades in both sports and academics over their four years at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech). Through their respective roles as student-athletes, they embody prime examples of leadership on campus and have cemented themselves as pillars within the community.

Emily Turner has played a crucial role on the volleyball team throughout her four years at Foothill Tech, earning a spot on the varsity team by her sophomore season. Her longstanding commitment to the sport comes from years of youth volleyball experience that shaped her early development.

When discussing her early introduction to the sport, Emily Turner said, “I’ve been playing since I was like seven, and I got introduced because my friend’s mom coached USYBL [United States Youth Volleyball].”

Being an athlete is only one side of Emily Turner’s life; in her academic endeavors, Turner juggles the demands of a full class load with her commitment to the volleyball program. This balance can be a challenge she says that many of her peers involved in athletics can relate to, explaining, “I think the hardest part is not just going home after games and having to do homework, but practices are every single day of the week. So we get home at like 9:30 p.m and then you have to do all of your assignments.”

Emily Turner also reinforced the important role her and fellow upperclassmen have to uplift, supporting younger teammates, “I think that the younger girls look up to us, and it’s like when we show good sportsmanship it’s training them to show good sportsmanship and same with culture, like cheering and being a really good and uplifting presence … we have to be good role models.”

Turner’s discipline and senior leadership have left a lasting impact on the culture of the volleyball program. 

And while Emily Turner has helped set the tone on the volleyball court over the last few years, her brother, Nick Turner, has done the same on the hardwood, playing on the Dragons’ varsity basketball team since his freshman year. During his time with the team, he has racked up some impressive on-court stats, with an average points-per-game of 9.1 and a defensive rating of 2.2 across his first three seasons.

While he’s undergone great improvements to his performance over the years, he attests that the area of the game he has most worked on is his on-court communication. “On the court, I talk more, I’m more vocal than I ever was. Off the court, there’s a lot of communication … I’m always texting players making sure they’re all good and doing what they need to be doing,” said Nick Turner.

Addressing his attitude toward practice, Turner emphasized how he brings onto the court the same disciplined mindset he carries into all other pursuits. As he looks ahead to his final senior season, he acknowledges there are emotions attached to the moment but tries to keep them in perspective. “It’s just basketball at the end of the day,” said Nick Turner.

Collectively, the Turner Twins have left a lasting impact on the culture and community of Foothill Tech that stretches beyond simple match statistics. Their shared commitment to both academics and athletics has come to serve as a steadfast reminder of what can be achieved by showing up every day.