By Nathan Farmer

Though early in their respective careers, Utah Valley softball's Peyton and Tatum Hall have achieved something few athletes can say they have — playing college sports with their sibling.

This past weekend at the NorCal Kickoff, sophomore Peyton and freshman Tatum became just the second set of sisters in UVU softball history to play together in the same game, joining Josi and Morgan Summers, who played together in 2013-14. They are also one of just 15 sets of sisters currently playing D-I softball as teammates.

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Peyton and Tatum had played on the same team since they were eight, and after a year apart, the two are reunited on this year's Wolverine squad looking to build off a strong 2024 season. 

Peyton and Tatum played their high school softball at nearby Spanish Fork HS, a softball powerhouse in the state of Utah. The Dons have won the 5A state championship each of the last four seasons — including each completed season a Hall played there — and fellow Wolverine Avery Sapp was a two-time Utah Softball Gatorade Player of the Year there. 

"Playing college softball with my sister is one of the best experiences I could ever imagine," said Tatum. "She is my best teammate on the field, and best friend off the field. Getting this opportunity to compete and play together in college is so special to me."

Peyton is coming off a solid freshman campaign that included earning National Freshman of the Week honors from D1Softball, the program's first weekly award at the national level. That week, Peyton torched the Tarleton State Texans, going 8-for-17 with two homers, two doubles, and 11 RBIs.

"I feel like from my experiences last year, Tatum got to come this year with a better idea of what to expect college softball to be," said Peyton. "One of the scariest parts of being a freshman last year for me was just the unexpected. Tatum knew that coming in it would be hard work and the game would be sped up."

Peyton and Tatum are one of about a dozen sets of siblings plying their trade within the UVU athletics department, including men's basketball's Hayden and Carter Welling and women's basketball's Cambree Blackham and Ally Criddle. That sibling connection is one that Peyton and Tatum rely on both on and off the field, and support from each other has been a major factor in getting these budding stars to where they are today. 

"We support each other by always being there for each other no matter what," said Tatum. "In our best moments and our worst moments, whether that's on or off the field we're there for each other through it all."

"Sometimes people ask if it is hard for us to be playing college together and the answer is always no," said Peyton. "This is how it has always been and I would want it no other way. We push each other to work harder and can be brutally honest with the other when needed."

Their parents have helped instill this mindset, as both know what it takes to be a college athlete and played major roles in shaping them into the athletes and people they are today. Their mom, Shelly, played college basketball, and their dad, Andy, was a baseball standout at Cal Poly and played in the minors in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

"Hard work has always been an expectation in our family and even though maybe I used to complain about it, I am so grateful for it now," said Peyton. "My dad spent countless hours working with me to achieve my goals of playing college softball. My mom took us on all of our tournament trips and has always been our biggest supporter."

"My dad is who has pushed me the most to get where I am today. He has always had high expectations for us, but for good reasons," said Tatum. "My dad is the perfect example of what it is to be a hard worker and to be mentally strong. My mom also helped me in huge ways. Whenever I felt like things were too much and I might want to just quit, she was always there to help me through it. She is one of the most selfless people I know."

Despite their distinct outward personalities, the two sisters are more similar than they are different.

"Peyton and I are so similar but so different at the same time. I'm definitely more outgoing and talkative than her. She can be very quiet, but when we're together at times we almost seem like the same person. We have the same sense of humor, and are both extremely competitive."

"Tatum is a lot more outgoing and loud than I am. I have always been very introverted and it takes me a while to come out of my shell. I feel like Tatum has always done a good job at making me get outside of my comfort zone. We both share the same humor and love the same kinds of creepy psychological thriller movies."

The Halls and Utah Valley continue play this weekend at the Littlewood Classic in Arizona. For more information, head over to the UVU Softball schedule page and follow @UVUSoftball on Facebook, Instagram, and X.