Who’s faster? Who can jump higher? For Peninsula’s Lovrovich twins, everything’s a competition

Twins Linsey and Laney Lovrovich have always been competitive. And that competition extends beyond just sports. They compete over everything.

Like when they set up an obstacle course in the house and time themselves on who can complete it faster.

“Whoever wins doesn’t have to wash the dishes that night,” Laney said. “We both don’t want to do it.”

Or they’ll measure who can jump higher. On the 4th of July several years ago, they competed to see who could throw a rock the furthest.

“Linsey threw one and it hit my mom’s windshield,” Laney said, laughing.

But most of their competition involves sports, in some way. The constant competition can probably be tracked back to when they tagged along with their mom, Ann, the volleyball coach at Peninsula High School, to practice.

“We invented a game where we’d run under the volleyball carts and race there,” Linsey said.

The sophomores share a competitive nature and are close friends.

“We do everything together,” Laney said. “We have the same friend group.”

But for as much as the twins share together, they’re very different people.

“Linsey is more of a daredevil,” Laney said. “She’s more courageous.”

While they grew up playing on teams together, Linsey gravitated more toward basketball, and track, while Laney found herself loving volleyball.

“I don’t like basketball because I don’t like touching people,” Laney said.

She’s not exaggerating, either. Playing basketball in fourth grade, Laney started crying after she fouled an opposing player.

“I felt bad about it,” Laney said, laughing. “That was the end of my basketball days.”

Laney starred on the Seahawks varsity volleyball team as a freshman, and also participates in track and field. Linsey was on the junior varsity volleyball team as a freshman, but played on the varsity basketball team and was one of the state’s top 800-meter runners last spring in track season.

They contribute to Peninsula’s athletic programs in different ways, but one thing is certain: They both have plenty of athleticism to go around. Both standing around 5-foot-8, the twins are explosive athletes and were already making an impact as freshmen.

“We support each other,” Linsey said. “Everything is family with all the sports here.”

Laney said being freshmen on varsity teams wasn’t a big deal.

“Everyone makes you feel like everyone is equal,” she said. “It didn’t feel like we were the younger ones.”

Laney, the better volleyball player of the two, said she’s eager for the upcoming high school season.

“I just hope we grow as a team,” she said. “It’s just a lot of fun. … I’m excited to meet some new faces, too.”

Linsey is hoping to make the varsity team this year, also, and help her sister continue steering the program in the right direction. After posting a winless season two years ago, Peninsula went 5-9 last season. They want to build on that this year, and push the Seahawks over .500.

“We’re still a young team and we’re still growing,” Laney said. “We’re hoping to grow from 5-9 and post a better record this season.”