Coupeville Sports

Freshman Lyla Stuurmans pounded out a career-high 10 kills Wednesday night as Coupeville won at Darrington. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

When you win, the 180-mile roundtrip seems a lot shorter.

Surviving a trek to the wilds of Darrington Wednesday, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball players got to celebrate all the way home.

Or take a nap. Or toil away at homework.

Whatever works.

But, while they were on the court, the Wolves took care of business, and fended off a feisty Loggers squad 26-24, 20-25, 25-15, 25-15.

The win lifts Coupeville to 4-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 4-1 overall.

Now, the Wolves get a little change of pace, as they head to Sultan Saturday for a tournament, before hosting next-door neighbor South Whidbey (4-1) next Monday, Sept. 27.

Facing off with the Loggers, Coupeville relied on its youngsters, with freshman Lyla Stuurmans and sophomore Olivia Schaffeld setting career highs with 10 and seven kills, respectively.

The juniors also stepped up, with Maddie Georges doling out 23 assists while Lucy Tenore and Jill Prince rang up strong hitting numbers.

As he bounced on a bus down the dark backroads of Washington state, CHS coach Cory Whitmore was reflective.

“Good to get out of Darrington with a win,” he said. “They are much improved from last season, and made us earn our points.

“It was a good thing we had our heads focused on the serving, and it paid off.”

Whitmore praised his entire team — “In the end, it was a team effort to get us there” — while noting the play of one of his rising stars.

“Olivia was phenomenal tonight, especially down the stretch in the fourth set,” he said. “She also contributed six aces and a block assist, pushing her point total to 13.5 points.”

Olivia Schaffeld is a vital part of a Wolf team which is 4-0 in league play.

Without the support of their own fans, the Wolves had to rely on each other for pick-me-ups, and Whitmore was pleased with how his players responded.

“For a road game, I also thought our bench brought of a lot of energy and communication, and our JV was supporting their teammates with a lot of enthusiasm,” he said.

“Fun to work with this group when they support each other like that.”

Wednesday stats:

Alita Blouin — 19 digs
Maddie Georges — 1 kill, 3 digs, 23 assists, 6 aces
Ryanne Knoblich — 3 digs
Jill Prince — 5 kills
Olivia Schaffeld — 7 kills, 1 dig, 5 aces, 1 block assist
Lyla Stuurmans — 10 kills, 4 digs
Lucy Tenore — 7 kills, 2 digs, 3 aces, 1 block assist
Savina Wells — 2 kills, 6 digs, 2 aces