Coupeville Sports

And the crowd goes crazy. “Wal-stad!! Wal-stad!!!” You should see them when they really get excited… (Shelli Trumbull photo)

So, you’re saying there’s a chance?

While she couldn’t totally commit to it, Coupeville High School volleyball coach Toni Crebbin believes star player Bessie Walstad stands a good chance of making her first on-court appearance in several games Thursday night. Walstad, who suffered a badly sprained ankle in a game earlier this season, has missed a chunk of games, but has been active on the sidelines, working as an unpaid, but vocal, assistant coach and team leader.

The Wolves have missed her thundering hits and on-court intangibles, going winless in her absence.

How much Walstad plays tonight against Lakewood, if she does, will depend on how the ankle feels at game-time, and how it holds up if she enters the heat of competition.

“She will not start tonight, but may find her way in the game,” Crebbin said. “Since she injured it playing front row, she is a bit hesitant about playing the front row, so I will most likely ease her into the back row.

“However, knowing Bessie, I’m guessing that in the midst of her game intensity she will forget all about any anxieties she may have and find herself going all out in no time,” she added. “At least that’s what I’m hoping.”