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Archive for the ‘Volleyball’ Category

Never bored, always improving!!

Posted in Basketball, soccer, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on May 30, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Name a sport and CMS 7th grader Audrianna Shaw has played it. (Submitted photo)

Boredom is not part of Audrianna Shaw’s daily routine.

The ever-busy Coupeville Middle School 7th grader jumps between four sports (she plans to trim it down to three by high school) and enjoys them all.

“I like being an athlete because with practices and games you can never be bored and you can always stay fit,” Shaw said.

She plays volleyball and basketball through CMS, as well as youth soccer and little league softball, with plans to shed volleyball once she hits CHS (since it would conflict with soccer in the fall).

Put her on the softball diamond, where she swings a strong bat and wields a slick glove at third for the Central Whidbey Adrenaline juniors squad, and she comes into her own.

“My favorite sport has always been softball,” Shaw said. “It’s my favorite because of the competitive nature and how you must rely on teammates for success.”

As she assesses her skill-set, she’s realistic but firmly set on becoming the best she can be.

Most of all, she wants to be part of a group which leaves behind its own solid piece of the Wolf legacy.

“As of right now I don’t think I have strengths,” Shaw said. “I would like to work on all areas so I can be a very well-rounded athlete.

“You know the banners hanging in the gym for all the sports?,” she asked. “I want my team and I to have one hanging up there someday.”

Away from the field or court, Shaw “loves listening to music, relaxing and hanging out with my friends in my spare time,” while also staying focused on “keeping my grades up.” Math and history are her favorite classes.

Whether in the classroom or playing a sport, she draws support from friends and family, something for which she’s very grateful.

“My mom has always been there to drive me to games and practices. She has always been there to cheer me up if we lost and motivate me,” Shaw said. “Also my teammates, because they are always very supportive.”

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“I enjoy the challenge of competition!!”

Posted in Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , , on May 30, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Abby Mulholland (left) with cousin, and Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Famer, Kendra O’Keefe. (Renae Mulholland photo)

Abby Mulholland is part of Coupeville sports royalty.

Her relatives, whether they played as an O’Keefe (or, back in the day, simply as a Keefe), are stocked full of Wolf legends, many of whom are enshrined in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

It’s a big legacy, but one the eternally-upbeat Mulholland is eager to live up to as she prepares to start her 8th grade year at Coupeville Middle School in the fall.

A three-sport star (volleyball, basketball and little league softball), Abby is a young woman for all seasons, but hoops will always have a slightly larger piece of her heart.

“My favorite sport is basketball because of the fast pace, teamwork and adrenaline,” Mulholland said.

“I enjoy the challenge of competition and I believe in teamwork.”

She has “a decent basketball shot,” which uncle Ryan O’Keefe, noted hardwood sage, is helping her perfect, and Mulholland is always eager to fine-tune her skills, regardless of the sport.

“Areas to work on are jump spiking, serving, my speed … my goals are to make it on varsity (in high school) and continue these sports,” she said. “To cheer on my teammates and just have fun.”

Mulholland has a strong support crew and she’s grateful for the many different ways in which they help.

“My dad, who shoots around with me and helped with my basketball shot; Miss (Casie) Dunleavey helped me with serving,” Mulholland said. “Izzy Wells and Genna Wright helped with my confidence, and my mom is my biggest cheerleader.

“(Little League) coach Mimi Johnson inspired me to do better.”

When she’s not playing a sport, Mulholland enjoys her history class and playing trumpet, as well as drawing, photography and trips to Disneyland.

Favorite movies include The Sandlot, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and the Pirates of the Caribbean series and she makes her parents, radio station veterans, proud by enjoying a wide variety of music, from Queen to The Chainsmokers.

While she’s still young and her athletic career stretches far ahead of her, one thing is for sure — on the playing field or off, Mulholland is solid gold.

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Love of volleyball inspires young spiker!!

Posted in Swim, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on May 29, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville Middle School volleyball star Maddie Vondrak. (Submitted photo)

The future is now. Stop by Coupeville Middle School and meet the next generation of Wolf stars before they make the jump to high school.

Maddie Vondrak is deeply committed.

As she wraps up her final days of middle school, the CMS 8th grader looks into the future and sees her love affair with volleyball going on for quite some time.

“I will be sticking with volleyball my whole high school career,” Vondrak said. “It’s my favorite sport because I love the feeling you get just whenever you are on the court.

“Being able to bond with the team and the passion that everyone has is so embracing and intimate; it’s just all around hands-down amazing.”

Vondrak, whose older sister Peytin is a sophomore at CHS, also enjoys swimming and hanging out with best friend Morgan Pease, a fellow volleyball spiker.

“Whenever we are together we always know how to make it fun and have a good time and how to make the best of memories,” Vondrak said.

Spending time with fellow athletes, both on and off the court, is special to the rising star.

“I enjoy being physically active,” Vondrak said. “And being able to have fun with a team you love and the sport you love.”

She draws inspiration from her family (“we always have the best times with each other and always know how to make each other laugh at all times”), and gives a big shout-out to parents David and Terri.

“My dad has always helped me learn new things and taught me to never give up on myself,” Vondrak said. “Whenever a door closes there’s always another one that opens up.

“My mom has taught me to always keep myself going,” she added. “Whenever I’m stuck with something, she always knows how to answer it and help me out with whatever it is.”

As she prepares for the jump to high school play, Vondrak is excited to “work on learning new things involving volleyball.”

She will do so already having strong core principals in place to help guide her.

“I think my strengths are, as an athlete, being able to keep my confidence, keep myself going, being able to lift others up, and never giving up on myself.”

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Heir to the throne!!

Posted in Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on May 29, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Kylie Van Velkinburgh (right) gets all up in the ball-handlers grill. (John Fisken photos)

Using her long reach to pull in a throw at first.

The future is now. Stop by Coupeville Middle School and meet the next generation of Wolf stars before they make the jump to high school.

Kylie Van Velkinburgh is the next link in a family with a strong athletic tradition.

Dad Dustin was a multi-sport star during his time as a Wolf and now dispenses wisdom as a coach, while mom Jessica was a national-level gymnast back in the day.

And hot on Kylie’s heels are three younger siblings who all are already well ahead of the athletic curve for their ages.

But, in this moment, as she wraps up the final days of 7th grade and plays for the Central Whidbey Little League juniors softball squad, she is the Van Velkinburgh getting the most buzz.

Tall and graceful, Kylie is an athlete for all seasons, playing volleyball, basketball and softball. Though she might switch it up a bit once she hits high school.

“I plan to stay with all of these, but I might want to try cheer at one point of course,” Van Velkinburgh said. “For football (season), because I would rather give up volleyball than basketball.

“Basketball is and always has been my favorite sport, because I’ve been playing since before I can remember and it’s how I’ve made most of my friends and one of the biggest reasons I’m so close to my dad.”

Having fun with her teammates has always been a big draw, regardless of the sport.

“What I enjoy most about being an athlete is spending time with my team and becoming a family while creating amazingly strong bonds,” Van Velkinburgh said.

“I don’t have many physical strengths as an athlete, but I feel that I work great with a team and I love to help and work with other people.”

When she’s not on the field or court, Van Velkinburgh enjoys hanging out with friends, and, like a good coach’s daughter, knows hard work is what will carry her to future success.

“My goals for high school sports are to be a strong player that gets well-earned playing time!”

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Summer is for spikes!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on May 3, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Show up for a volleyball clinic and you might get to meet Wolf stars like Emma Smith. (John Fisken photo)

As the weather warms, it’s time to head into the gym.

Coupeville High School volleyball coaches are planning two events for June, bringing the game they love to kids in grades K-12.

Leading off is the first annual Wolves Volleyball Skills Camp June 12-15.

Open to students entering grades 7-12 in the fall, the camp will run 3-6 PM each day and be held in the high school gym.

Cost is $25 and payment (and proof of a physical on file with the school) need to be submitted to Jamie Easton in the CHS office by May 26.

Cash and checks made out to “Coupeville High School” are accepted.

All participants will get a camp t-shirt.

Which, since this is the first-ever camp, will one day likely be a collectible.

If you’re smart, get CHS coach Cory Whitmore and current spiker stars like Emma Smith, Hope Lodell and Ashley Menges to sign your shirt.

Raises the dollar value down the road.

Whitmore, coming off an Olympic League title in his first season at the helm of the Wolves, views the camp as the perfect way to mesh current and future players in a fun environment.

“I’m really excited about this event and hope to make it a tradition for our summer plans,” he said. “We will get some crucial summer work done in preparation for the fall season, it will serve as a program fundraiser and provide a unifying t-shirt for our middle school and high school players.”

Questions can be directed to cwhitmore@coupeville.k12.wa.us or (509) 347-6301.

Then, June 23-24, Whitmore will team with the Coupeville Boys and Girls Club to present its Summer Volleyball Camp, with separate lessons for students entering K-2 and 3-6.

Those clinics, which cost $40, run from 9 AM – 1 PM each day.

Registration needs to be done by June 2 to get a t-shirt, though, if you’re willing to forego the shirt, you can register up to the day of the camp.

For more info and to register, swing by the Boys and Girls Club (203 N. Main), call 678-5640 or email caguilar@bgcsc.org.

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