Coupeville Sports

The Wolves in happier times. (Aimee Bishop photo)

Not even some Hammer Time could save the Wolves.

Despite strong all-around play from sophomore middle blocker Hailey Hammer, the Coupeville High School volleyball team bowed out Saturday after absorbing back-to-back losses at the District 1 tournament.

The Wolves opened strongly, stretching eventual second-place finisher Nooksack Valley to four sets. Paced by Bessie Walstad’s 11 kills and Hammer’s nine kills and three aces, Coupeville fell 25-17, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22.

Perhaps thrown off a bit by the loss, the Wolves then stumbled in a loser-out match to a team they should have been able to beat.

“Unfortunately, the second match against Friday Harbor was the polar opposite (of the Nooksack match). We came out flat and pretty much stayed that way,” said Coupeville coach Toni Crebbin. “Despite the scores being almost identical, we were playing a weaker team and it should not have ended that way.”

Friday Harbor won 25-17, 25-23, 25-23, as Coupeville finally kicked into gear with a too-late third-set rally behind Hammer, who nailed five of her eight kills. The Wolves wrapped up their season at 4-13.

King’s, which remained unbeaten and largely untouched (the Knights swept three opponents to the tune of 225-149), won the district tourney, with Nooksack Valley claiming second. South Whidbey and Lynden Christian will play Monday, Oct. 29 to decide third and fourth.

The tournament was the final go-around for three Wolf seniors, as Walstad, Katie Kiel and Lauren Escalle wrapped up their time as CHS spikers.