By GEORGE MAHL

Lyndi and Lauri Martin have something in common with Kayla and Nicole Poirrier.

Not only are they standout high school volleyball players, but they have known each other virtually since birth. Lyndi, a senior at Lutcher High School, and Lauri, a sophomore at LHS, share a relationship with the Poirrier sisters, who attend Riverside Academy which goes far beyond aces and kills on the court.

Lyndi and Lauri’s grandparents live next door to the Poirrier family.

“We’re so close that if we are not playing sports, then we are eating Pop Sicles together at Maw-Maw’s house,” said Lyndi Martin.

Nicole Poirrier added, “I remember playing a game of pepper off the roof one day. I think it got competitive.”

Competition is nothing new to these superb local athletes. The girls have been playing AAU volleyball for two years against some of the top players around. Recently, the Martin and Poirrier sisters played against top players from Michigan, Ohio, Colorado, and Texas in a tournament held at Disney World.

“That was a little different for me because I played with different people. At Lutcher, you play with the same six people for an entire season,” explained Lyndi Martin.

The local team finished in sixth place in what was a very competitive tournament, according to longtime friend Toni Miano. Ironically, during one of the AAU seasons, a game pitted Lyndi Martin and Kayla Poirrier against Lauri Martin and Nicole Poirrier.

“That brought out some very good competition between us. It brought our games to a different level,” said Kayla Poirrier.

The younger sisters have always followed in the older sisters’ footsteps.

“I remember going to Lyndi’s volleyball games just to watch and learn,” said Lauri Martin.

The teams from LHS and RA have played one another twice so far in the early season. The Lady Rebels beat the Lady Bulldogs in a jamboree game, while the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady Rebels in a scrimmage.

Round Three is set for Sept. 26 at Riverside.

At times it may seem the games between the girls can be intense. However, everyone agreed that just because they are playing against their longtime friends does not mean they can go easy on each other.

“The bottom line is that all four of us want to win real bad,” Lauri Martin said. Kayla Poirrier, laughing, put it best when she added, “We say to them ‘you all are going down’ all the time.”

In the end, Lauri Martin said each contest has “good bragging rights” on the line.

Growing up together, the Martins and Poirriers remember some things they used to do together as children.

“Everybody played volleyball with a balloon in the house,” said Kayla Poirrier. Lyndi Martin said she remembered Nicole Poirrier pitching softball to her at a young age. “I think we may have even bent some shutters while hitting the ball when we were little,” Lyndi Martin said, while the others laughed.

The girls said if they did not play volleyball, or any other sport for that matter, they would still be the best of friends. Sisters, literally and figuratively.