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Archive for the ‘Volleyball’ Category

Bow to your new queen!!

Posted in A freakin' American hero, Girls Basketball, Girls Tennis, Happy birthday, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , , , on June 17, 2015| Leave a Comment »

"It's mah birthday!!!" (John Fisken photos)

“It’s mah birthday!!!” (John Fisken photos)

McKayla (top) and McKenzie Bailey

McKayla (top) and McKenzie Bailey, the best there ever was in the photo biz.

McKe

“Dang straight, Skippy!!”

The stare started with side-eye, and not just side-eye, but truly epic side-eye.

Then, without seeming to do so, McKenzie Bailey’s head turned 180 degrees and, over the top of her glasses, one eyebrow cocked, she regarded me as if I just asked her to lick a fresh cow pattie.

I had made the mistake of telling her mom, Donna, that with older sister McKayla about to graduate, little sis Mollie, several years shy of high school, was Coupeville Sports next true superstar, the chosen one who would inherit the crown of the one true Photo Bomb Queen.

Realizing  my mistake too late (a common occurrence in my life…), I started to stammer while McKenzie held the look for just long enough to send ice down the spine.

“I do not believe I have left this school yet, have I?”

One more beat to let the eyebrow fully cock, then she let me off the hook, her trademark light-up-the-prairie smile breaking through.

And really, could there have been any doubt that McKenzie, who celebrates a birthday today, is already primed to take over the throne held for so long by McKayla?

Photos, taking photos, being in photos, photo-bombing others in photos — it’s a time-honored Bailey Tradition.

Mollie will certainly get her moment, but not until McKenzie lets the crown reluctantly slip from her college-bound fingers in a year or so.

Not that photos are her only claim to fame.

A consistent three-sport athlete (volleyball, basketball, tennis), McKenzie was one of just two Wolves — with Wynter Thorne — to play on both of the CHS squads to win an Olympic League title last year.

A key contributor for both the basketball and tennis teams, which put up the first new championship banners in Cow Town since 2002, Bailey is the real deal.

She’s also a pretty phenomenal student — like big sis — and can probably drive a tractor with one hand while popping wheelies and playing the guitar intro to Nirvana’s “Come as You Are” with the other (why not?) if she wants.

Talented, vivacious, and as friendly as all get out (except when her rise to power is being questioned) McKenzie is a true original.

She’s got some McKayla in her, and a dash of Mollie, and vice versa, but the middle Bailey is her own amazing young woman.

Happy birthday, McKenzie. May your reign be as impressive as you are.

P.S. — That’s pretty dang impressive.

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Still Fab? Of course!!

Posted in A freakin' American hero, Girls Basketball, Happy birthday, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on June 17, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The many faces of Amanda Fabrizi.

The many faces of Amanda Fabrizi.

She was never one to shout and proclaim herself as the best.

Which never disguised how good she really was.

Former Wolf basketball/volleyball star Amanda Fabrizi didn’t make a play for the headlines or the photo ops, she just worked, and worked, and worked some more.

And it paid off, in a career that was capped with a particularly stellar senior hoops season in which she buried one dagger after another from long distance.

A superb outside shooter who could also be quite deadly with a lil’ running hook shot, Fabrizi, who celebrates her birthday today, was money.

Tough and gritty on the court, and a sweetheart off, much like her hard-court running mate at the time, Breeanna Messner, Fab was deceptive.

Other teams sometimes figured the duo for pushovers, mistaking quiet confidence for timidness.

It was a mistake they never made twice.

Fabrizi was relentless, crashing hard to the hoop, daring the other team to put her on the line with the game at stake.

Back up, though, and she’d bury the trey over your head.

Now, as she navigates college life and pursues being an orthopedic surgeon, her work ethic is still remarkable.

And, while Wolf fans don’t see her up close and personal like they once did, we all still wish her the best.

Happy birthday, Miss Fabrizi.

May it hit nothing but net, just like you always did.

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“My favorite part is when we work as a team!!”

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , , on June 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Shank

   Ashlie Shank (center) hangs out with basketball teammates Lindsey Roberts (left) and Ema Smith.

shank

A ferry ride home during track season, with (l to r) Emma Smith, Shank, Maddy Hilkey, Teo Keilwitz and Roberts.

Sports excellence is a family tradition.

Now it’s the little sister’s turn.

Following in the footsteps of brothers Matt and Brian, Ashlie Shank will become the third, and final, member of her family to wear the red and black for Coupeville High School.

Add in her other older siblings, who played sports back in Utah before dad Jim Shank came to the Island to become Coupeville Schools Superintendent, and the idea of Shanks excelling on the court is an easily accepted one.

Ashlie, who will be a freshman at CHS in the fall, plans to play volleyball and basketball for the Wolves.

As a middle schooler, she also competed in track and field and always had a strong presence in the stands when her brothers were playing football, tennis and basketball.

Her first action as a high school athlete will come on the volleyball court, where she’ll be entering her fourth year in the sport.

“I started playing in sixth grade mostly because my mom (Sallie) wanted me to play,” Shank said. “But I also wanted to follow my sister’s footsteps and play volleyball in high school.”

Shank, who is part of a large, close-knit group of friends that includes fellow Wolf athletes Maddy Hilkey, Emma Smith, Ashley Menges and Lindsey Roberts, loves how the sport encourages teammates to help each other out.

“My favorite part about volleyball is when we work as a team,” Shank said. “Getting on the court with my teammates and working together gets me excited, making me want to play more.”

After some thought, she picks setting as her strength, while she’d like to work on her hitting and passing.

As she goes forth, the final link in the Shank athletic dynasty, she knows she has a loyal fan base always there to support her.

“My parents and my big brother, Matt, have made a big impact on me,” Shank said. “My parents help me to improve whether it’s in sports or school, and they are always there for me.

“As for Matt, he helped me to be more confident in sports and to never give up,” she added. “I want to be just like him when I am in high school.”

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North Pole sends Wolf spikers a present!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , , on June 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Myiah Meade

Myiah Meade

Can we start calling her the “Alaskan Assassin?”

OK, so we might need to wait a bit and see how strong Myiah Meade’s game on the volleyball court is, but you heard it here first.

If she’s a spike-happy killer, I’ve already copyrighted the nickname.

Either way, the recent import to Wolf Nation — she moved here from Fairbanks, Alaska, where she attended North Pole High School — gives Breanne Smedley another potential weapon as she heads into her second season as Coupeville High School’s volleyball coach.

Meade, who will be a junior in the fall, has been working with her new teammates during spring practice and already has her eye on where she’d like to get stronger with her spiker skills.

“My goals for the upcoming season are to become a better player, physically and mentally, ” Meade said. “My strengths are hitting and passing. Some things I would like to work on are diving and digging up the ball.”

She plans to play basketball for the Wolves, as well, and enjoys the chance to mesh with her teammates.

“Volleyball is a very intense sport, with a lot of team work,” Meade said. “And I enjoy the team atmosphere.”

Meade first picked up the sport in sixth grade and hasn’t let go yet, racking up five consecutive seasons before the move to Whidbey.

“I started playing because one of my friends in a higher grade told me about open gyms,” Meade said. “I immediately took to the sport.”

Away from the volleyball court, she enjoys painting and culinary arts, with an emphasis on barbecue competitions.

No matter what she’s doing, she always has the support of family.

One person, in particular, is always there to offer her advice, and Meade is happy to draw upon her experience.

“My mom has encouraged me a lot to push myself and get better.”

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Spike to the future!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on June 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Campers will get instruction (and maybe autographs) from Wolf players such as Valen Trujillo (4) and Ally Roberts. (John Fisken photos)

  Campers will get instruction (and maybe autographs) from Wolf players such as Valen Trujillo (4) and Ally Roberts. (John Fisken photos)

CHS head coach Breanne Smedley.

CHS head coach Breanne Smedley, your camp director.

Build for the future, now.

The Coupeville Boys & Girls Club is offering summer volleyball camps for players entering grades 3-8, with instruction coming from CHS coach Breanne Smedley and current and former Wolf spikers.

The camps run June 18-20 and costs $30 for one session or $75 for all three (includes camp t-shirt), with registration ongoing at the boys & girls club (203 N. Main).

Sessions will run from 9 AM-noon each day of the camp for players in grades 6-8 and 1-4 PM for those in grades 3-5.

The fundamentals of passing, setting, blocking, attacking and serving will be covered, with work done on basic offensive and defensive systems.

Players will be challenged at their level of ability, with the camp including scrimmages, a tournament, daily awards and drawings.

Smedley, who is entering her second season at the helm of the Wolf program, brings 10+ years of playing and coaching experience to the floor.

She played volleyball at Western Washington University, then coached club volleyball before taking over at CHS.

She’s currently a Physical Education Specialist at Broad View Elementary in Oak Harbor.

Smedley’s goal is to have each camper come away with “an experience that improves his/her volleyball skills in a safe and positive environment.

“Players are encouraged to reach their fullest potential and come away from camp not only with new skills but an enthusiasm for the game,” she added. “We focus on a maximum number of quality ball contacts and give students a high level of attention through a low camper to coach ratio.

“Finally, we expect players to learn and have fun!”

For more information, contact her at breannesmedley@coupeville.k12.wa.us.

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