Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Volleyball’ Category

JV spikers rally for win

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on April 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville freshman Allison Nastali played strongly Thursday, sparking the Wolf JV spikers to a tense three-set road win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Grit and guts.

Pushed to the edge Thursday, the Coupeville High School JV volleyball squad rallied for a huge road win, showcasing the resolve of the young Wolves.

It was edge-of-your-seat time in Darrington, as the road warriors from Cow Town pulled out a 25-8, 22-25, 16-14 thriller.

The win lifts the CHS spikers to 2-1 on the season, heading into a Saturday match at home against Mount Vernon Christian.

A day after her 20th birthday, Coupeville JV coach Ashley Menges got a big present from her team, as they dug down deep and played the way their leader did back when she wore a Wolf uniform.

“They played great in the first set,” Menges said. “Energy was high, everyone was playing very consistent, and they played well as a unit.”

Then came a brief detour into the wrong side of town, setting up the third-set rally.

“Second set Darrington came back with a vengeance, which was expected, but we just got too comfortable,” Menges said.

“Third set was also good, coming back from being in a deficit but overall was a great game, and a great way to respond from our previous game and our practice.”

Freshman Allison Nastali drew praise from her coach, as did several of her teammates.

“Allison did great being put in a new position and was very consistent on her serve!,” Menges said. “Olivia (Schaffeld) and Grey (Peabody) had some great swings in the middle as well.

“And Maya (Lucero) and Jordyn (Rogers) were very consistent on the outside attack.”

Read Full Post »

Defending state champs set a high bar

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on April 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Kylie Chernikoff brings the thunder of the gods to the volleyball court. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Suzanne Marble has built a dynasty.

Under the leadership of their longtime coach, La Conner High School volleyball is the crème de la crème of 2B teams, with back-to-back state titles and an unbeaten streak in league play which dates back more than a decade.

If you want the Northwest 2B/1B League title, you have to go through the Braves.

And that won’t be easy.

The point was driven home, more than once, as La Conner crunched host Coupeville in straight sets Tuesday, warning a rebuilding Wolf squad it will need to get tougher to come for the big dog.

With a 25-15, 25-7, 25-9 win, La Conner improves to 3-0 on the season, without having dropped a set, while Coupeville slips to 1-1.

The two teams meet again April 29, with the Wolves on the road, and CHS coach Cory Whitmore will aim for his team to play more like it did in set #1 Tuesday than sets #2 and 3.

“We competed in the first set at times and had spent a lot of time on our serving in practice, working on consistency,” he said. “I was happy to have seen that skill improve a lot and translate into the game.”

Consistency, though, is key.

“Throughout the game (Tuesday) we were too flat and unfocused,” Whitmore said. “Those were long points of discussion today at practice.

“We had a strong practice today and addressed some of the growing pains our group has come up against and so we will work to refocus and take a second shot at a very good La Conner team.”

Senior Kylie Chernikoff paced the Wolves, racking up five digs and four kills, while sophomore Maddie Georges dealt out 10 assists.

Others notching numbers on the stat sheet included Chelsea Prescott (six digs, two service aces), Ryanne Knoblich (six digs), Jaimee Masters (five digs), and Maddie Vondrak (four kills).

More support came from Jill Prince (two kills, one block), Lucy Tenore (one kill), and Abby Mulholland (one ace).

Read Full Post »

Sweet spike o’ mine

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on April 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville spikers (l to r) Maddie Vondrak, Kylie Chernikoff, and Ryanne Knoblich marinate in their awesomeness. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The spikes were flying, the celebrations were rockin’, and the cameras were clicking from all angles.

Coupeville High School’s volleyball squads hosted their home opener Tuesday, the first time a Wolf team played indoors against a rival since the pandemic first broke more than a year ago.

The pics above and below are courtesy John Fisken, and you can see (and buy) many more photos by bouncing over to:

VB 2021-04-13 vs LaConner – John’s Photos

 

Steve Kiel rules the lines with an iron fist (clad in a velvet glove).

Jaimee Masters starts the offense flowing.

Former CHS spikers Savannah Smith (green shirt), Emma Smith (middle), and Scout Smith assess the new talent.

Chernikoff, a lethal weapon on the court.

Maddie Georges launches a rocket.

Vondrak dances at the net.

Knoblich is locked ‘n loaded.

Read Full Post »

Young spikers show promise

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on April 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Wolf freshman Skylar Parker played strongly Tuesday in Coupeville volleyball’s home opener. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Learn something new every day.

While the Coupeville High School JV volleyball squad couldn’t topple powerhouse La Conner Tuesday, the young Wolves did get progressively better as the match proceeded.

Playing in their home opener, the CHS spikers fell 25-13, 25-16, 25-21, evening their early-season record at 1-1.

The Wolves get a chance to bounce right back, and put the lessons learned into full effect when they travel Thursday to Darrington.

Coupeville then closes a busy week of Northwest 2B/1B League action when it hosts Mount Vernon Christian Saturday.

La Conner’s varsity squad has won back-to-back 2B state titles, and its JV team is full of talented players looking to break into the higher ranks.

The Braves came out strong, but also benefited from a little trepidation from the Wolves.

“La Conner was a good team, but we played very slow at moments,” said Coupeville JV coach Ashley Menges.

Things improved as the night wore on, however, with the Wolves digging deep and finding a comfortable rhythm.

“We really emphasized playing consistent and letting them make the mistakes, which proved well in the third set,” Menges said.

“We improved from practice the day before which I was very happy with,” she added. “Everyone played great though.”

Gwen Gustafson “had some really great serve receive passes, as well as Skylar (Parker), and Grey (Peabody) was very aggressive at the net today.”

“Overall, it was a good game and a good learning opportunity!,” Menges said.

Read Full Post »

No fans at CHS home volleyball finale

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on April 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville High School volleyball guru Cory Whitmore will coach May 8, and his players will play, but fans will have to watch online. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

No fans will be allowed at Coupeville High School’s final home volleyball match May 8.

The decision was made by CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith and Wolf head coach Cory Whitmore, in conjunction with a request by the Orcas Island Superintendent.

“The option was no fans in attendance or no game and we, myself and the head coach, decided that we would rather have a game for our kids then not play,” Smith said.

The school will stream the match through the Coupeville High School Facebook page that day, allowing Wolf fans to view it for free.

JV plays at 3:30 PM, varsity at 5:00.

Also, Senior Night has been bumped a week earlier, moving up to May 1, when Darrington comes to Whidbey Island.

And, if you were thinking of traveling to Orcas April 23, when Coupeville volleyball visits the outer islands, don’t bother. There will be no fans allowed for that match either.

Other than that May 8 season finale against Orcas, all other CHS volleyball home matches remain open to Wolf fans.

That includes April 17 vs. Mount Vernon Christian, April 27 against Concrete, and the Darrington royal rumble.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »