Coupeville Sports

Hannah Davidson, elevating in an earlier game, played strongly Wednesday as CHS volleyball kept its hot streak alive. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Everybody steps up, every night.

That could be the mantra for the Coupeville High School volleyball squad, which solidified its hold on second-place in the North Sound Conference Wednesday with a gutsy four-set win at Granite Falls.

Playing without big-time masher Maya Toomey-Stout, who was home recuperating from an illness, the Wolves got strong work from other key players, and inspired play from “The Gazelle’s” replacement, Zoe Trujillo.

Pulling out a 25-13, 24-26, 25-18, 25-18 victory, Coupeville improves its record to 6-2 in league play, 9-2 overall.

That leaves the Wolves a game up on Cedar Park Christian (5-3) and two up on South Whidbey (4-4) with two to play in the battle for the league’s #2 playoff seed.

It also keeps alive the hope of the Wolves earning a share of the league title, at least mathematically.

Coupeville’s final regular-season matches are at home, Oct. 23 vs. King’s (8-0) and Oct. 25 against Sultan (0-8), when the Wolves will honor seniors Ashley Menges and Emma Smith.

Win both and have King’s be toppled by CPC in its finale, and CHS would finish in a dead-heat with the defending 1A state champs.

While Wolf fans daydream, Coupeville’s players will have five days to rest, kick various bugs and prep for the big match-up with the Knights.

Toomey-Stout and her uncanny ability to elevate, hang in mid-air for an eternity, then devastate the ball, should be back in the lineup when that royal rumble goes down.

Wednesday night, though, the other Wolves rose up and filled her (missing) shoes.

In the case of Trujillo, literally.

“Zoe did a great job filling in for Maya and taking on a strong role playing all the way around,” said Coupeville coach Cory Whitmore, who is now 33-13 in his three years at the helm of the Wolf program.

“I’m proud of this group adapting and raising the level of play in order to compensate not having a key player.”

The Wolves were balanced across the board, something their coach is always pleased to see.

“Our serving was much more consistent and we did a nice job of getting Emma Smith the ball,” Whitmore said. “Scout Smith did a fantastic job of distributing the ball and our strong passing from Chelsea Prescott, Emma Mathusek, Ashley Menges and Zoe did a solid job of passing the ball in order to run our offense.

“Hannah Davidson was great off one foot and had a first-set serving run that helped propel us forward,” he added. “We’re happy to pull off the road win and look forward to next week.”

Emma Smith paced the Wolf attack, shredding Granite for 11 kills, while also dominating at the net with four solo blocks and two assists on other stuffs.

Springing from one side of the court to the other, the bounce in her step never wavering, Scout Smith doled out a season-high 30 assists, while also adding three aces, two blocks and two digs.

Prescott (seven kills, six digs), Trujillo (five kills, two digs), Mathusek (18 digs), Menges (four kills, three aces, three digs), Davidson (three kills, two aces) and Lucy Sandahl (a wicked ace) all chipped in to keep CHS manager Heidi Meyers busy as she recorded team stats.

JV wages strong fight:

Coupeville’s young guns forced Granite Falls to a third and deciding set for the second time this season, but couldn’t quite pull out the win.

The Wolves ultimately fell 25-19, 23-25, 25-14, dropping their record to 3-5 in league, 5-6 overall.

“We lost, but we got some good work in,” said Coupeville coach Chris Smith. “We are a work in progress, but I like the improvement we are seeing.”

Sandahl, the motor which makes the JV squad run, was limited to just a single set so she would be available for duty with the illness-depleted varsity. She made good use of her time on the floor, however, recording seven assists and two service aces.

Kylie Van Velkinburgh pounded home seven kills, while Izzy Wells tallied 10 assists and five aces.

Meanwhile, the rampaging Vick sisters, Willow (five digs, four kills, two aces) and Raven (five digs, three aces) were their usual consistent, dangerous selves.