Capri Anter shares a moment with her dad as her senior season of volleyball begins. (Bettie Sifuentes-Hart photo)
The spikes are flying once more.
Whidbey Island’s three high schools kicked off volleyball season Saturday with a jamboree in Oak Harbor featuring Wolves, Falcons, and Wildcats in action.
Coupeville’s varsity, repping a 2B school, held its own against their 3A hosts and 1A South Whidbey, leaving second-year coach Scout Smith in a good mood.
“Overall, it was a really positive experience for our team,” she said. “We had some really good success and figured out some places we need to continue to fine tune.
“Really proud of the way the girls went out and played hard.”
Coupeville’s roster is a mix of experienced vets and newcomers, and the jamboree gave both a chance to prep for the coming season.
Haylee Armstrong dreams of aces. (Sifuentes-Hart photo)
Smith hailed senior Haylee Armstrong as well as a pair of fab frosh who stepped right into the spotlight with style.
“Shoutout to Haylee for the leadership and level-headedness she demonstrated today,” Smith said. “She was an absolute rock on the court that we could always count on.
“Additionally, shoutout to our two freshmen, Zariyah (Allen) and Rhylee (Inman), who played beyond their years today and made a noticeable impact in their varsity debut.”
Jamboree stats:
Zariyah Allen — 6 kills, 5 digs, 1 solo block, 2 block assists
Capri Anter — 19 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace
Haylee Armstrong — 6 digs, 14 assists, 1 ace
Arianna Cunningham — 10 kills, 26 digs, 7 assists
Lexis Drake — 3 kills, 3 digs, 3 block assists, 5 aces
Rhylee Inman — 6 kills, 1 dig, 1 solo block, 2 block assists
Willow Leedy-Bonifas — 54 digs, 7 assists, 1 ace
Isa Mc Fetridge — 2 aces
Kennedy O’Neill — 1 kill, 2 digs
Tenley Stuurmans — 4 kills, 27 digs, 52 assists, 2 solo blocks, 2 block assists
JV debuts:
The emphasis was on continued improvement for Coupeville’s second unit, which split sets with South Whidbey and hung tough with an Oak Harbor squad which resembled a varsity group.
“Today was definitely a good learning experience for the girls,” said JV coach Alita Blouin. “I can see the vast improvement just from the first set to the fourth set.
“They seemed more confident as they got more comfortable with each other and playing in front of others.
“I’m really proud of how they played and I’m excited to see how much they are going to improve as the season goes on.”
Up next:
Coupeville’s spikers start regular season play next Saturday, September 12 when they host Mariner in non-league matches.
Action begins at 1:00 PM, with the JV taking the floor first.
Friendly rivals Sawyer Dill (left) and Emma Leavitt share the floor. (Jenny Dill photo)
Coupeville Sports 
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