BRIDGEPORT — Lindsey Vidmar and Lexi Anaya have been best friends and teammates since they started preschool together at Bridgeport Catholic Academy.
Lifelong companions in the classroom and on the field, the 12-year-old girls do almost everything together.
They play on the same Bridgeport Bombers girls softball eam. Lindsey, of Canaryville, pitches. Lexi, from neighboring Bridgeport, catches.
Now, as summer heats up the sand on the beaches of Lake Michigan, the duo is getting ready to embark on another journey as a team.
Their destination? Hermosa Beach, Calif.
That's where the girls will compete on the beach volleyball courts of the 2015 AAU West Coast Junior Olympic Games from July 23-26.
Back in June, the Lexi and Lindsey took home the championship trophy from AAU North Avenue Beach Volleyball Tourney in the 12-year-old division. The first- and second-place teams won an invitation to the junior Olympic games.
Though the girls feel "kinda nervous" about the trek out West, Lexi said they're more "excited" than anything.
When the girls entered the North Avenue Beach Tournament on June 20, they're nerves eased more and more with every game.
The big difference between club volleyball — played on a hard court, usually in a gym — and beach volleyball is the number of players. Club volleyball requires five players on each side of the net; beach volleyball requires two-player teams.
The tourney featured teams from all over the country, and the girls weren't sure how they'd fare. They soon found out.
"We kept winning," Lexi said.
"It boosted our confidence it made it easier for us," Lindsay said.
By the girls' 10th match late in the day, their nerves returned.
"Once you make it that far, you're kind of nervous, like 'Oh, we made it this far, now we have to see if we can finish it all off,'" Lexi said.
That's what the girls did. They were so swept up in the moment, Lexi and Lindsay don't remember the official name of the team they defeated to take first place.
"We made them known as 'the Nike girls' because they were wearing Nike shirts," Lindsay said.
Of the girls' chemistry on the sand courts, Lexi said, "We play alike."
Of their rituals during play, Lindsay said, "During the game, we just cheer each other on."
To prepare for the upcoming games in California, the girls have been practicing between two and three times a week at Montrose Beach.
Because they girls have played in the cold, rain and strong winds, Lexi and Lindsey believe they have an edge heading to sunny California.
Lindsey's mother, Linda Vidmar, said the girls' strong companionship will carry them through the tournament.
"They have this rhythm," she said. "They work so well together."
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