Haylee Armstrong prepares to launch a serve earlier this season. (Jackie Saia photo)
It was a beautiful brawl.
Playing with just one girl on the bench Saturday, the Coupeville High School JV volleyball squad almost pulled off a stunning upset.
Rallying from a set down against visiting Forks, the Wolf young guns came all the way back to hold a match point in the third frame before the Spartans slipped away with the victory.
While Coupeville drops to 2-5 on the season with the 25-13, 21-25, 16-14 loss, not all defeats are created equal.
This royal rumble, with multiple moments of grit and heart shown by a Wolf squad with five freshmen, bodes well for the future.
After grabbing a quick 2-0 lead in the opening set, with Capri Anter blasting a knee-quaking spike winner off the back line, CHS fell behind and couldn’t recover.
The Wolves had some individual bright moments early, such as Chloe Marzocca ripping a nasty slicer and Haylee Armstrong flipping another winner between a pair of rivals, but serving derailed any comeback bid.
Armstrong was the lone Wolf to earn a point at the stripe until fellow frosh Myra McDonald zinged an ace with her team trailing 23-12.
Coupeville’s JV spikers have a bright future. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
The second set, after a brief delay caused by one of the refs having to leave the gym suddenly, was far different.
The two teams went at it with intensity, carving out eight ties before Coupeville made its move late in the frame.
Dakota Strong and Lexis Drake set the Wolves up for success with power and finesse at the net, and their teammates caught the point-scoring bug.
Coupeville, riding a string of strong serves from Marzocca, broke open a 19-19 stalemate, finishing the set on a 6-2 tear.
Anter delivered two winners during the surge, and while Forks fought off a pair of set points, CHS was intent on forcing a tiebreaker.
That third and deciding set featured six ties, even with the teams playing to just 15 (or so) and not 25.
Coupeville led by as many as three points, as Drake bobbed, weaved, and bounced all around the court, droppin’ winners, while Forks pushed back hard to regain the edge at 12-9.
A skin-shredding ace from Armstrong highlighted a 5-1 mini-run from the Wolves, as they pushed the Spartans to the very edge.
But down 14-13, the visitors reached deep and found a little extra moxie, holding off a match point and capturing the final three points of the match.
Coupeville’s plucky band of spike-happy warriors gets multiple chances next week to continue their strong play.
The Wolves host Concrete Tuesday on Dig Pink Night, then welcome Mount Vernon Christian to Cow Town Thursday night.
The JV caps a busy week with a trip up-Island to Oak Harbor Saturday for a tournament, with the Homecoming dance lurking that evening.
Saturday stats:
Capri Anter — 3 kills, 3 digs, 1 assist, 2 aces
Haylee Armstrong — 5 kills, 7 assists, 1 ace
Carly Burt — 1 assist
Lexis Drake — 6 kills, 1 solo block
Chloe Marzocca — 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 assist, 2 aces
Myra McDonald — 1 ace
Dakota Strong — 2 kills
Coupeville Sports 
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