It was a clean sweep on opening night.
After a considerable pause in action thanks to the ongoing pandemic, Coupeville High School volleyball players returned to the court Thursday, and did so in style.
Playing for the first time since November 5, 2019, the Wolf spikers pounded host Concrete, taking three-set wins at both the varsity and JV level.
The twin wins kick off fall sports, which are being played AFTER spring sports this time around, and reintroduce Coupeville volleyball to its old-school home, the Northwest 2B/1B League.
Next up is two-time defending 2B state champs La Conner, which comes to Whidbey Tuesday, April 13 for a big early test for the revamped Wolves.
How Thursday played out:
Varsity:
Despite playing with just a seven-player rotation, with four of those girls being varsity newbies, the Wolves held on for a 25-16, 25-23, 25-23 win.
“Overall, I’m very pleased with our introduction to this new league and how the girls went out there to compete and lay a strong foundation for growth,” said CHS head coach Cory Whitmore.
“They got a lot of touches in and had to rely on themselves to get the job done,” he added. “They responded well after timeouts and that is something I’m so impressed with.”
Senior Chelsea Prescott paced her squad on opening night, collecting 10 kills, 12 digs, and six service aces.
Also piling up the stats were Maddie Vondrak (12 booming kills), Jaimee Masters (12 digs), Kylie Chernikoff (five kills, five digs), Maddie Georges (25 assists and six digs), Jill Prince (six kills), and Ryanne Knoblich (six digs, two kills, two aces).
“After nearly a year and a half of not having played, it was terrific to see them get out there and have fun while competing,” Whitmore said.
“We are excited to get back in the gym and work on some things that need tightening, make some adjustments and learn from this first game.”
While all seven Wolves to see the floor drew praise from their coach, one in particular got a little extra love for showing grit and determination.
“Special shoutout to Kylie Chernikoff, who played through a pretty rough knock to the jaw by a fellow teammate,” Whitmore said. “She took a lot of Concrete’s serves and handled them well despite being a bit battered.”
JV:
Former CHS volleyball ace Ashley Menges made her debut as a coach, guiding the young Wolves to a 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 win.
While the set scores were close, Coupeville was able to pull out points at crucial moments, something which bodes well for the future.
“Everyone played well,” Menges said. “And it was nice to see everyone work through the kinks, especially since we crammed so much information and practice into a short amount of time.
“I’m very proud of the girls and excited to start the season with a win!”
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