Coupeville Sports

   Ashlie Shank (center) hangs out with basketball teammates Lindsey Roberts (left) and Ema Smith.

A ferry ride home during track season, with (l to r) Emma Smith, Shank, Maddy Hilkey, Teo Keilwitz and Roberts.

Sports excellence is a family tradition.

Now it’s the little sister’s turn.

Following in the footsteps of brothers Matt and Brian, Ashlie Shank will become the third, and final, member of her family to wear the red and black for Coupeville High School.

Add in her other older siblings, who played sports back in Utah before dad Jim Shank came to the Island to become Coupeville Schools Superintendent, and the idea of Shanks excelling on the court is an easily accepted one.

Ashlie, who will be a freshman at CHS in the fall, plans to play volleyball and basketball for the Wolves.

As a middle schooler, she also competed in track and field and always had a strong presence in the stands when her brothers were playing football, tennis and basketball.

Her first action as a high school athlete will come on the volleyball court, where she’ll be entering her fourth year in the sport.

“I started playing in sixth grade mostly because my mom (Sallie) wanted me to play,” Shank said. “But I also wanted to follow my sister’s footsteps and play volleyball in high school.”

Shank, who is part of a large, close-knit group of friends that includes fellow Wolf athletes Maddy Hilkey, Emma Smith, Ashley Menges and Lindsey Roberts, loves how the sport encourages teammates to help each other out.

“My favorite part about volleyball is when we work as a team,” Shank said. “Getting on the court with my teammates and working together gets me excited, making me want to play more.”

After some thought, she picks setting as her strength, while she’d like to work on her hitting and passing.

As she goes forth, the final link in the Shank athletic dynasty, she knows she has a loyal fan base always there to support her.

“My parents and my big brother, Matt, have made a big impact on me,” Shank said. “My parents help me to improve whether it’s in sports or school, and they are always there for me.

“As for Matt, he helped me to be more confident in sports and to never give up,” she added. “I want to be just like him when I am in high school.”