Coupeville Sports

Pick a sport and Breeanna Messner is at the forefront of the action. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Breeanna Messner is tired and sore, but that’s hardly going to stop her.

The Coupeville High School junior may be still feeling the effects of getting back into the flow of volleyball, having endured the opening day of practice Monday, but she’s already looking ahead to the new season.

And her outlook is, as always, remarkably upbeat.

Wherever Wolf coach Toni Crebbin needs her, Messner is the young woman for the job.

“I need to be ready to play any position,” Messner, who is expected to see a fair amount of time at outside hitter, said.

“We lost a lot of players this year, so I am not sure where I will be needed, but I will be ready to play whatever position benefits my team.”

Regardless of where she winds up on the floor at a given moment, Messner, who is also a star basketball and softball player for CHS, will always strive to get to a higher plane.

“I feel one of my biggest strengths is my desire to get better,” she said. “I always give 100% percent when I am on the court.

“I strive to be the best team player I can be and always encourage my team.

“I believe that there is always room for improvement,” she added. “I will take direction from my coach as to what areas she thinks I need to focus on.”

With the Wolves having lost key players such as Katie Smith, Taya Boonstra and Alexis Trumbull to graduation, while Madison Tisa McPhee has opted to play soccer during her senior season, Messner will be one of the few vets.

She and senior Bessie Walstad will need to set an example for a team that may skew very young.

“To provide leadership we will work towards creating an atmosphere that will help develop younger player’s confidence,” Messner said.

“My personal goal for this season is to improve my skills and make the players around me even better. As a team I want us to show improvement through every game and play deep into the playoffs.

“We have the talent to go far,” she added. “We just need to develop as a team with confidence and a positive mindset.”

That positive mindset is one of Messner’s key traits.

After her uncle Dick Messner, a 1963 CHS grad, was diagnosed with leukemia, she immediately jumped into action, taking part in The Big Climb.

That’s a fundraiser which had her climb a heart-pumping 69 floors to the top of the Columbia Tower in Seattle — the tallest building in Washington state.

The event combined two of her primary loves, sports and family.

Part of a tight-knit circle, she draws strength from their support, and appreciates the guidance offered by her coaches.

“Considering my whole life revolves around school and sports I don’t have a lot of free time,” Messner said. “I really enjoy spending time with my family — they all support me by coming to my games and working around my busy schedule.

“I have had a lot of great coaches like Coach Crebbin; she always has such a positive attitude and really knows what she is doing,” she added.

“A coach who really sticks out in my mind is my basketball/softball coach, David King. He has really helped me a lot as a player. He has really focused on my confidence, and through that I am more able to help my team.”

While she has two more years to excel in the red and black, Messner has begun to look to the future, as well.

She has plans to attend a four-year university and study sports oriented massage therapy.

If she can continue her on-field and on-court exploits, even better.

“I can only hope that I can play at the next level,” she said. “My plan is to continue to work hard with determination and hopefully pursue my dream of college basketball.

If the hard work, plucky attitude and raw athletic talent she has shown in the past is any indication, don’t count her out any time soon.