Haylee Armstrong (left) and Ari Cunningham discuss strategy. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
They won the battle and lost the war.
Playing from behind in every set Thursday, the Coupeville High School JV volleyball squad held off four match points and actually won one more point than visiting Mount Vernon Christian.
But the game of spikes and digs is decided by capturing sets, and not total points, so a 62-61 advantage couldn’t net the Wolves a win, as they fell 20-25, 26-24, 15-13.
The loss, coming in Coupeville’s home opener, drops the JV spikers to 1-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 2-1 overall.
The young Wolves proved to be a scrappy bunch but did most of their best work Thursday after digging a big hole for themselves.
CHS trailed 12-4 in the opening set, before sophomore Dakota Strong lashed a winner at the net to key the turnaround.
Bit by bit the Wolves got back into the match, picking up points on serves from Tenley Stuurmans, Ari Cunningham, and Haylee Armstrong, but were still down 18-14 when Capri Anter stepped to the line.
Dropping bombs on the Hurricanes, and getting some help from Stuurmans, who netted a sweet runner that dropped over the heads of a pack of defenders, Anter shoved Coupeville back into the lead.
Six straight points on serve gave the Wolves a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, with Cunningham and Stuurmans coming up big at crunch time.
The set-winning point was a note-perfect shot from fab frosh Stuurmans, who drew the defense in, flicked a winner between Hurricane players, then calmly strolled away, small smile on her face.
Tenley Stuurmans is here to deliver winners.
Unfortunately for Coupeville, as soon as it had the advantage, it gave it right back to MVC.
A couple of slow stretches offensively left the Wolves in another hole, this time at 13-7, before the hometown hitters once again rallied.
Adeline Maynes cranked back-to-back aces, coming right after Lexis Drake stuffed the visitors on a play set up by a great dive from Cunningham to keep the action alive.
Coupeville finally reclaimed the lead at 23-22, courtesy a strong run at the service stripe from Armstrong, only for MVC to escape and knot things up at a set apiece.
There were two ties in the final set, at 1-1 and 4-4, before the ‘Canes pulled away seemingly for good.
With things going to 15, and not 25, Mount Vernon staked itself to a 14-9 lead, only to see the Wolves mount a comeback that almost made it all the way.
With Anter peppering the visitors from the line, Coupeville held off four match points and had a chance to force a tie at 14-14, only to be denied by a ball which missed the endline by a whisker.
While the loss stings, the Wolf JV spikers, who celebrated Isa Mc Fetridge’s birthday Thursday, will get back at it.
Next up is a road trip to La Conner Tuesday, Sept. 24, then a home tilt with Darrington two days later.
Thursday stats:
Capri Anter — 4 kills, 8 digs, 5 aces
Haylee Armstrong — 8 digs, 1 ace
Ari Cunningham — 3 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace
Lexis Drake — 1 solo block, 2 aces
Adeline Maynes — 5 digs, 4 assists, 3 aces
Dakota Strong — 2 kills
Tenley Stuurmans — 6 kills, 1 dig, 5 assists, 2 aces
Coupeville Sports 
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