Sister act

Ask Katie and Tracy Lindquist which is harder, teaching or beach volleyball, and the answer is instantaneous.

Really, it’s not even close.

“Teaching is definitely more tiring,” Katie Lindquist said. “Volleyball, it doesn’t feel like work.”

The answer makes sense. After all, running around in the sand on a picturesque summer day can’t really compare to keeping up with kindergartners, which Katie has to do as a teacher at Patton Elementary in Garden Grove.

Yet both have proven rewarding for the sisters and Huntington Beach residents, who will play in their hometown tournament this weekend at the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Crocs Tour Huntington Beach Open.

The thrill of not only playing on their home sand but in front of friends and family is considerable for Katie, 31, and Tracy, 28. It’s not quite just another day playing at the pier, which they have done countless times since they were teenagers at Ocean View High, but Tracy said she feels there really is a home-court advantage.

“It’s always our favorite tournament,” said Tracy, who is a sixth-grade teacher locally at Mesa View Middle School. “It’s always a great event, always a fun environment. Huntington always has a lot of energy. We feel more comfortable at Huntington than anywhere else. We know the wind, the sand, and it goes in our favor.”

The Lindquist sisters, both 5-foot-6, are no longer newcomers on the tour; they’re certifiable veterans. They have been playing together on the tour since 2001, when Tracy was still at USC, where the setter helped lead the Trojans to the NCAA championship in 2003.

It was a sticky situation those first couple of summers for Tracy. In accordance with NCAA regulations, she wasn’t allowed to accept her earnings from the tour.

“I paid for all my travel, and I didn’t win any money,” she said.

But it was still a positive experience. Once she got done at USC, there wasn’t so much of a learning curve for the beach game.

They’ve played together in 84 AVP tournaments, but the Lindquist sisters can usually be found around ninth place lately. In 2008, they finished tied for ninth in seven of their 15 tournaments, and each sister made just more than $37,000 on the tour. They also had their top-two finishes ever, when they tied for third in Louisville then did it again last June in Belmar, N.J.

This year, they have two tied-for-ninth-place finishes, including last weekend in Houston. They also have finished tied for fifth twice.

“I’m pretty pleased,” Katie Lindquist said. “The fifths, we’re definitely happy with. We’re not quite as content to get a ninth as we used to be ... We have room for improvement. We don’t really feel like we’ve played well for a whole tournament yet.”

Both players are feel like they can win a tournament in the future, especially since the two-time Olympic champion duo of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh isn’t playing on the tour this season.

“When Misty and Kerri were around, we didn’t always feel that way,” Katie said with a laugh.

At Ocean View, they were together on the 1995 team, when Katie was a senior and Tracy was a freshman. That squad made it to the CIF Southern Section Division IV semifinals and also advanced to the state tournament.

Two years later, Tracy helped the Seahawks to the Division III state title.

That has to seem like a while ago now. Tracy got married in December, while Katie is engaged.

Yet the spot remains the same this weekend. It’s the same Huntington Beach Pier they played at as teenagers, when Katie wanted to be cool and definitely didn’t want to be seen with younger sis.

“Tracy was sort of the tag-along sister,” Katie said. “I didn’t want her to be anywhere near me on the court.”

Now they both run around the same court, trying to play good defense against teams that often have at least one player bigger than they are.

“We’ve got good defensive skills and not a lot of height,” Katie said. “If Tracy and I were to split up ever, we would probably look for a big blocker to play defense behind.”

She paused for just a split second.

“I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.”IF YOU GO

WHAT: AVP Crocs Tour Huntington Beach Open

WHEN: Qualifying today beginning at 8 a.m.; main draw Friday (beginning at 9 a.m.) and Saturday (10:30 a.m.). The women’s final is Sunday at 2 p.m. with the men’s final following at 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: south side of Huntington Beach Pier; 285 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach.

TICKETS: $20 for general admission, $40 for courtside and $10 for children’s tickets. You may also buy an all-session pass for $100 (courtside) or $50 (general admission).

INFO: www.avp.com

OTHER LOCALS TO WATCH

 Fountain Valley High product Brad Keenan

 HB resident Ed Ratledge

 HB resident/former Golden West College standout Jeff Carlucci

 HB resident Saralyn Smith