Hocker sisters turn sibling rivalry into Kansas high school tennis success
This fall, the three Hocker sisters will try to power the Kapaun Mt. Carmel girls tennis team to another trophy at the state tournament.
But this summer, the family has been playing for the highest stakes imaginable: bragging rights and a night off from chores.
It’s become a tradition: Jacob, the father, teams up with Clara, a senior, while twins Caroline and Chloe, both juniors, form the other duo. For years, the father and oldest daughter dominated the matches. But lately, the twins have flipped the script.
“If you lose, then you’re going to have to do dishes or clean the living room or fold the laundry or something else we don’t want to do,” Clara said.
The sisters usually keep their cool during high school matches, but family showdowns are another story. As they’ve grown older and more competitive, those battles have only become more spirited.
“Usually it’s always a line call that gets us going,” Chloe said with a laugh.
“I am always the one that ends up crying,” she added. “I’m not going to lie, it’s always me.”
Beyond the backyard battles and household wagers, the Hocker sisters are serious competitors for the Crusaders. Clara is a senior and a standout singles player, while juniors Caroline and Chloe form a formidable doubles team. Together, they helped Kapaun place second at last year’s Class 5A state tournament.
It’s a testament to their skills, but also to the competitive spirit developed by the family that pushes them to improve both on and off the court.
“We don’t sugarcoat anything in this house,” Jacob said. “I hope that will work out favorable to them in their future because if you’re not giving your full effort at all times, including us, someone is going to let you know about it.”
A triple threat for Kapaun
The Hocker sisters figure to be championship contenders in Class 5A this season.
Clara returns as one of the top singles players in the state after finishing eighth last fall. She has plenty of competition in the Wichita area this season in Andover’s Mia Jaramillo, Bishop Carroll’s Logan Jagonlinzer, Valley Center’s Allison Munhall and even her own teammate Julia Judkins.
The twins, meanwhile, are set to be among the favorites in doubles after a fourth-place finish. Two of the other semifinalist teams have since graduated, leaving the door open for another deep run this season.
The Hocker sisters made quite the powerful statement this past weekend at the season-opening Collegiate Classic against state-caliber competition. Clara only dropped three games in four matches in a dominant showing to win the singles title, while Caroline and Chloe also prevailed in the doubles field.
“They’ve played together forever, so they know where to cover and what each other is going to be doing,” Kapaun coach Kathy Schulte said. “When one isn’t doing as well, the other seems to always reach up higher and play even better.”
This season will be the final time the three sisters share the same high school team. Clara knows it will be hard to say goodbye.
“This is my last year playing with them, so I’m really going to cherish it,” she said.
Chloe, too, senses the opportunity ahead.
“This year is really going to be special because we’re all at the skill level that we want to be,” she said. “This is our chance to really do something special, so we’re excited for it.”
Blunt talk, better tennis
Because Clara specializes in singles and the twins play doubles, they see the game from different perspectives.
More importantly, they’re not afraid to share their thoughts.
“We’re brutally honest with each other,” Clara said. “They’re not afraid to tell me straight to my face that what I’m doing is trash.”
“When you’re playing with a friend, then it’s kind of hard to tiptoe around the subject,” Caroline said. “With us, we don’t really get our feelings hurt too much. So we can just tell each other what’s up.”
That competitive fire is balanced by a deep bond. Chloe says the best part of tennis is that it keeps them together.
“If we didn’t play tennis together, we probably wouldn’t be able to hang out as much and see each other as much,” she said. “So when we’re all at one place at the same time, it’s a lot of fun. And then we can do stuff together afterwards too.”
A Hocker family affair
Jake and Laura Hocker rarely miss a match. And if they can’t make it, another family member fills in.
“Our family is super supportive, so we’ve got quite a little student section at our matches,” Caroline said. “Honestly, that makes it so much fun when the family comes out to watch.”
Due to the competitive spirit between the sisters, the family had to create a unique post-match policy when one of them loses to preserve the peace.
“The family rule is that we can’t talk for one hour after (a loss),” Laura said. “Because it gets very heated and then it just goes downhill from there very quick.”
The sisters may banter and get on each other’s nerves, but beneath it all is a foundation of love. And a shared passion for tennis that’s been good for everyone.
No matter how many medals the sisters bring home this season, their parents hope the lessons learned along the way will prove more valuable than any gold.
“The reason we got them into tennis is because sports in general teaches kids so much about work ethic,” Jacob said. “You work toward something, you set goals, you have highs, you have lows, you learn how to get your butt kicked and you learn how to kick some butt.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 6:01 AM.
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