Coupeville Sports

   Senior outside hitter Madeline Strasburg is one of four returning letter winners. (John Fisken photos)

    Junior McKenzie Bailey is part of a promising group of younger players likely to make the jump to the varsity squad.

New Wolf coach Breanne Smedley.

One day at a time.

That’s the mantra for first-year Coupeville High School volleyball coach Breanne Smedley, as she guides the Wolf program into a new age.

Having replaced former CHS player-turned-coach Kirsty Croghan, who had to step aside after a single season when her commute from La Conner proved to be too much, Smedley has inherited a roster full of breakout stars.

Now, the goal is to bring those players, and their teammates, together into a cohesive unit.

“I always ask my players at the end of practice, are you a better volleyball player and teammate now than when you started practice?,” Smedley said. “If they can honestly answer yes to that question then we will be successful this season.

“My goal is to finish at the top of our league but we will only get there if we are working to improve one day at a time.”

As Coupeville heads into a new league, having jumped from the 1A/2A Cascade Conference to the 1A Olympic League — a four-team set-up that includes Klahowya, Chimacum and Port Townsend — Smedley and her players want to take advantage.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to compete against schools of similar size to Coupeville,” Smedley said.

Four returning letter winners form the core of the Wolves, with senior outside hitters Kacie Kiel and Madeline Strasburg being joined by senior middle blocker Hailey Hammer and junior setter Sydney Autio.

Others expected to have a big impact include seniors McKayla Bailey and Monica Vidoni, junior McKenzie Bailey and sophomores Tiffany Briscoe and Valen Trujillo.

Regardless of which players end up playing where, or how the rotation shakes out, Smedley likes what she’s seen in her first official week of practice.

There’s always room for improvement, but the Wolves are putting in the hard work and sweat now that should hopefully translate into success come match time.

“There some growing pains associated with learning new systems and information, but they are doing a great job of working through those,” Smedley said. “This team is very hard working and they have the desire to learn and improve.”