Coupeville Sports

Shaloma Allen (back, far left) helped keep CMS volleyball thriving.

Shaloma Allen stepped up. Now she’s hoping someone else will follow in her path.

The Coupeville Middle School volleyball coach is leaving the program, with her resignation on the agenda for Thursday’s school board meeting.

That she even ended up on the sideline last season was a surprise, she said, but a challenge she gladly accepted to help keep the spikers playing.

“The whole reason I signed on was because we didn’t have a coach last year,” Allen said.

“It was the Thursday before the season started that I offered to coach so my two daughters and the middle school girls could play.

“I have no history with playing or coaching volleyball, so it was a new experience for me.”

Allen learned on the fly and fielded very-competitive teams, helping fuel the continued growth of the Coupeville spiker program.

“I really enjoyed coaching the girls last fall,” she said.

“The 8th grade girls stepped up their leadership and helped me teach the younger ones the skills to get started.

“I had a lot of help from the high school volleyball team and some graduated players from the year before. We were also able to get an experienced assistant coach (Katie Rohrbach) halfway through the season.”

Allen, whose four children are all Wolf athletes across multiple sports, considers herself a bridge between experienced former CMS spiker coaches Cris Matochi and Kristina Hooks and her potential successor.

Though there is a possibility she could return.

“I resigned hoping that someone with more knowledge and vision comes in to keep the program going,” she said. “But I have talked with (Athletic Director) Willie (Smith) about coaching again if no one steps up.

“A part of me is sad to let the position go, but I’m excited to be able to watch my other kids play their sports in the fall too.”

Allen is grateful for what volleyball has given her family, both for her children and herself.

“The volleyball program that (former CHS varsity coach) Cory (Whitmore) put together was a pivotal part of my daughter’s ability to integrate into community when we first moved here in 2022,” she said.

“The sense of belonging through teamwork and practice was amazing for both my girls.

“The middle school girls love volleyball so much. Our community really needs to keep this program going.”