Teen discovers long-lost sister after spotting near-identical player on rival softball team
Por Isabel Keane — – World RSS Feed
Teen discovers long-lost sister after spotting near-identical player on rival softball team
‘It’s like we didn’t know what to feel because you’ve waited your whole lives for this moment,’ Samantha Rensvold said of meeting her sister Kyann
Isabel Keane in New York Thursday 08 October 2026 14:06 BST
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A Montana teen met her long-lost sister when she unexpectedly came face to face with her in a softball tournament — after a teammate pointed out that a player on the opposing team was a dead ringer for her.
Samantha Rensvold, 19, was playing in a softball tournament in Montana last August when her teammate noticed Kyann Dean, 18, on the opposing squad.
Rensvold, who is adopted, knew she had a younger, biological sister who had a closed adoption, meaning she didn’t know where she was or what she looked like.
“I hadn’t seen her up close yet when my teammate was pointing out to me,” Rensvold told People last month, noting that upon her first glimpse of Dean she was “pretty much in denial.”
“I was like, ‘There’s no way that this would happen to me right now,” she added.
open image in galleryRensvold — not wanting to be wrong — didn’t approach Dean after the game. But after telling her mom about the uncanny resemblance, they checked the tournament roster and found Dean’s name.
“We looked at the roster and she saw that her name was ‘Kyann,’” Rensvold said. “My mom knew that that’s what my birth mom named her.”
“So my mom was like, ‘That has to be your sister. That’s not a coincidence,’” she said.
The next time they saw each other at a softball game, Rensvold’s mom approached Dean’s family and discovered that their adopted daughters’ biological mothers share the same name, and that both girls were born at the same hospital.
The sisters, who haven’t done a DNA test, were excited to find each other—even though it took a moment to process.
“It’s like we didn’t know what to feel because you’ve waited your whole lives for this moment,” Rensvold said.
Rensvold grew up in Polson, whereas Dean grew up 400 miles away in Worden, the sisters told Inside Edition. Their biological parents were 19 and 17 when Rensvold was born, she said.
“We don’t know the exact reason, but I’ve always just assumed that they were too young and they wanted to give me a better life and that maybe they couldn’t give me,” she said. “What I don’t know is why they had two more [children] and then gave them both up for adoption.”
Rensvold said she first discovered she had a sister from their other biological sibling, a brother who tracked down her family.
The sisters have found similarities beyond their appearance and love of softball. Both also played volleyball in high school, wore No. 6 and held the same position. They also have the same “little giggle,” Rensvold added.
Rensvold is currently a freshman at Spokane College in Washington state, while Dean attends college in North Dakota.
“When I would talk to people about my situation with my biological family, I’d always have to explain, ‘I have a sister.’” Rensvold said.
“But now it’s so nice to be able to put a face to her and to meet her, hang out with her. It doesn’t leave any doubt or wonder in my mind.”
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