Stars and Stripes has selected an Athlete of the Year for each of the respective fall sports played across each of DODEA’s Europe and Pacific theaters. Check out our site this week to read profiles for golf (Tuesday), tennis (Wednesday), cross country (Thursday), volleyball (Friday) and football (Saturday).

URUMA, Okinawa – They’re about as alike as twins can be, especially on the tennis court, where Moa and Miu Best proved during the just-completed season that they were the best on the Far East courts.

Yet there are some differences between the juniors.

One became pronounced in mid-September, during E.J. King’s road trip to Matthew C. Perry. There, Moa suffered her first and only singles defeat of the season, falling 9-8 (7-5) to the Samurai’s top seed, Nina Altig.

It was the twins’ mentality that differed, at least to that point, Altig said.

“They’re both really passionate about the sport,” said the Perry senior. “They’re really motivated and they keep that energy going throughout their games. Moa is definitely more emotional on the court. Miu doesn’t let the feelings get the best of her.”

That changed following that match on Sept. 16, said both Moa and her father and coach, McKinzy Best.

“I think that match really changed my game and how I played,” Moa said. “It made me play at a higher level and it helped with my mentality also.”

From that point on, the twins were “rock solid,” said McKinzy, a longtime Sasebo resident and DODEA-Japan educator.

“People change, people develop and they realize that they need to change the way they do things,” McKinzy said. “People can be emotional at times. They dominated … but they had to work hard. All that talent made them better and they rose to the occasion.”

That occasion meant winning every doubles and singles match they played the rest of the regular season.

At last month’s Far East tournament on Okinawa, they paired to win the girls doubles, with Moa avenging that loss to Altig. Moa and Miu beat Altig and her Samurai teammate Julie Apperson 6-1, 6-4.

Later that day, Oct. 26, Moa beat Miu 6-1, 6-4 in the singles final, helping King win the Division II girls and overall school banners.

For that, the Best twins share Stars and Stripes’ Pacific girls tennis Athletes of the Year honors.

It might seem difficult for two athletes so competitive to work so well together as a team, especially when they had to face each other in the Far East final.

It’s well known, for example, that pioneering women’s stars Serena and Venus Williams were not fond of playing each other, as they did 16 times in major tournaments, with Serena winning 11 of them.

“We’re twins, we kind of think alike” on the courts, Miu said. “We talk strategy, what we need to do on the court. I usually know what strategy my sister does and what’s to come, because I’m used to what she does.”

Far East tournaments had been canceled the previous three years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Moa and Miu both said they were glad for the opportunity to take part in one, and know the challenge may be even greater next year,

“It’s going to be harder competition,” Miu said. “It’s going to be our senior year and we’re going to fight to keep No. 1.”

THE MOA BEST FILE

Age — 16.

Place of birth — Sasebo, Japan.

Sports played besides tennis — Basketball, softball.

Favorite school subject — Math, music.

Least favorite school subject — English.

Favorite music — Variety.

Favorite type of entertainment — Medical TV shows.

THE MIU BEST FILE

Age — 16.

Place of birth — Sasebo, Japan.

Sports played besides tennis — Basketball, soccer.

Favorite school subject — Art.

Least favorite school subject — Science.

Favorite music — Many genres.

Favorite movie — Mean Girls (Lindsay Lohan), Clueless (Alicia Silverstone).