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Another night, another win

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Lyla Stuurmans enjoys the thrill of the kill. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Sometimes perfection comes with a few bumps in the road.

Tuesday night’s varsity high school volleyball rumble between high-flying Coupeville and cellar dweller Friday Harbor was the blowout one would have expected.

Except for a 10-minute patch where everything went sideways.

But, a 10-minute patch does not a season ruin, as the senior-led Wolves pulled themselves together on their home floor and closed as strongly as they started, capturing a 25-3, 25-18, 25-4 victory.

The win lifts Coupeville to 6-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-0 overall, tying these Wolves for the second-best start in program history.

The 2024 edition of the CHS spikers equals the 2019 squad, whose setter was current assistant coach Scout Smith. That team started 7-0 en route to going 14-5.

The best start for a Coupeville spiker crew? Toni Crebbin’s 2004 team, which started 10-0 and finished 14-3.

The current Wolves, who earned coach Cory Whitmore his 95th victory Tuesday, have won all 21 sets they’ve played in the regular season this year.

They’ll take their streaks East this weekend, when they travel to Liberty High School in Spangle.

Friday night the Wolves clash with always-tough Okanogan (5-5), before returning to the same gym Saturday for a tournament which will feature prominent spiker programs such as defending 2B state champs Manson.

Tuesday’s warmup, coming against the last-place team in the NWL, was a potential trap.

Though, at first, the Wolves were ready.

Katie Marti opened at the service stripe and looked like she would never leave, ripping off 20 straight points to send a jolt of electricity through a somewhat-sparse crowd limited by an early 4:00 PM start.

Katie Marti, a one-woman wrecking crew at the service stripe.

The Wolves dominated at the net, as well, with Mia Farris, Teagan Calkins, and Jada Heaton combining to quickly thwart any efforts by Friday Harbor to stage brief rallies.

There was a moment where it looked like I was about to see the first 25-0 set of my sports reporting career.

But it was not to be, as someone on the CHS bench (who shall remain anonymous — you’re welcome, Miss You Know Who) jinxed the whole thing by mentioning out loud the Wolves had no errors up to that point.

After which the volleyball gods let one point slip through the Wolf defense, in retribution for breaking volleyball code.

While the perfect set faded into the gym air, the Wolves still came pretty dang close, with Aby Wood and Tenley Stuurmans notching service points to end things quickly.

And then the hiccup came.

After a first set in which Friday Harbor had nothing going on, the visitors shocked everyone in attendance by roaring out to a 13-6 lead in the second set.

Whitmore allowed his veteran spikers to find their own way on this one, and his belief in the long timers was repaid.

Marti, patrolling the floor from her setter position, kept delivering precision set-ups, and her big mashers responded.

Heaton, crunching the ball and flexin’ on fools, delivered her biggest performance of the season, while Lyla Stuurmans started flat-out murdering the ball.

Meanwhile Madison McMillan and Taylor Brotemarkle kept everything in play, Farris and Calkins sniped from the sides, and slowly, steadily, the Wolves dug themselves out of an unexpected hole.

Friday Harbor went down fighting with a fury, but the lead finally slipped away when Lyla Stuurmans spanked a service ace off the back corner to make it 18-17.

Marti got artful, faking a set before flipping a winner through a maze of bodies, and enjoyed it so much, she promptly did it a second time.

Closing the second set on a 19-5 tear, the Wolves never stumbled again, tearing through the final frame with the same precision they displayed at the start of the match.

With Calkins and McMillan torching their foes from the service stripe, CHS jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the third frame, then pushed it all the way out to 20-1 before coasting in for the win.

Coupeville’s seniors continue to lead the way.

As he reflected on Tuesday’s rout, and looked ahead to the Eastern Washington expedition, Whitmore praised his veterans for finding their way back after their brief melt-down.

“Katie played as controlled as I have ever seen her,” he said. “She gave the ball to her hitters really well and set them up for success.

“Jada was really strong tonight, and Mia was at the top of her game. She looked fearless.”

 

Tuesday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 2 digs
Teagan Calkins — 7 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces
Mia Farris — 14 kills, 4 digs
Jada Heaton — 5 kills, 2 digs, 1 assist
Katie Marti — 3 kills, 4 digs, 26 assists, 6 aces
Madison McMillan — 2 kills, 12 digs, 2 assists, 2 aces
Lyla Stuurmans — 8 kills, 2 digs, 1 ace
Tenley Stuurmans — 2 aces
Aby Wood — 1 ace

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JV spikers in a groove

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Tenley Stuurmans (left) and Chelsi Stevens get pumped. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

They’re on a roll headed for the rematch.

The Coupeville High School JV volleyball squad has only one small ding on its record this season — a three-set loss to Mount Vernon Christian in which the Wolves actually won more points than the Hurricanes.

Now, after shredding visiting Friday Harbor 25-16, 25-15, 15-10 Tuesday, the Wolves have won four straight and are primed for some revenge.

Sitting at 5-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 6-1 overall, Coupeville’s JV spikers get that rematch a week from now, when they travel to MVC Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Between now and then, the Wolves will practice, some of their players will join the varsity on an Eastern Washington trip this weekend, and the squad will bask in the glow of its current winning streak.

CHS made sure to keep the good times rolling by immediately pouncing on Friday Harbor, seizing the advantage from Adeline Maynes opening serve and never letting go.

With the fab frosh joining teammates Ari Cunningham and Tenley Stuurmans in ripping off torrid runs at the service stripe, the Wolves dictated play all night.

Cunningham craftily snapped off one of her team-high seven aces to key an early run, before coming back around to end the opening set with a six-point run at the line.

She got some help from Stuurmans, who crunched a crosscourt winner at the net, and Dakota Strong, who froze the defense with a well-placed tip for another point.

But Cunningham wasn’t finished there, peppering the Wolverines all night with her serves, while Sydney Van Dyke and Haylee Armstrong also showcased their love of aces during the second set.

The Wolves congratulate their teammates for a job well done.

Friday Harbor stayed scrappy, but the Wolves had a height advantage at the net, with Strong and Stuurmans instituting a no-fly zone for any volleyballs attempting to sneak back over the twine.

The set and match-clinching point came on a rally where Coupeville dug the ball off the floor, then popped it into position for Maynes to get magical.

With her back to the net, the Wolf setter flipped a winner over her head, the ball slicing right through a pack of defenders, before skidding merrily away.

While the third set was for practice, Coupeville didn’t let up, getting big winners from Cunningham and Isa Mc Fetridge to stay close, before finishing things off by scoring the night’s final five points.

The very last one came courtesy Armstrong, who like running mates Chelsi Stevens and Capri Anter, locked the court down from side to side, never allowing the visitors to get in a rhythm.

With work at the service line from Myra McDonald, and bench support from Delilah Castellanos, Willow Leedy-Bonifas, and Lexis Drake, everyone on the roster had a role in the win.

Two in particular earned an extra bit of praise from Wolf coach Ashley Menges, however, with the volleyball guru noting the continued growth and hard work of Stevens and Mc Fetridge.

 

Tuesday stats:

Capri Anter — 1 dig, 1 assist
Haylee Armstrong — 1 kill, 4 digs, 1 assist, 3 aces
Ari Cunningham — 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 assist, 7 aces
Adeline Maynes — 2 kills, 1 dig, 8 assists, 5 aces
Isa Mc Fetridge — 1 kill
Dakota Strong — 3 kills
Tenley Stuurmans — 6 kills, 2 digs, 3 assists, 3 aces
Sydney Van Dyke — 5 kills, 3 digs, 1 ace

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“The girls fought hard”

Posted in Middle School, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Rhylee Inman (13), seen last season, is making a name for herself as a spike-happy volleyball star. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They passed their biggest test.

Reaching the halfway point of the season Monday, the Coupeville Middle School volleyball teams did so by engaging, and surviving, private-school juggernaut King’s.

Capping a string of three straight home matches, the scrappy Wolves put up a strong effort against the Knights.

“Their team was by far the best team we have played this season so far, but the girls fought hard,” said CMS coach Cris Matochi.

How the day played out:

 

Level 1:

Coupeville came hard at the service line but was tripped up by “details and unforced errors” in other places during a 25-11, 25-20, 15-12 loss.

“We served well and could keep the ball up for most of the game, but we struggled to avoid unforced errors when they were crucial,” Matochi said.

“Our team did a good job with serve-receive, and I think the players are finally getting more comfortable with our rotations. Now, we need to apply the skills from the practices to the games.

“They have been so good at working on them during practices, but we struggle to use them when it matters the most.”

Rhylee Inman paced CMS with two kills and four digs, while Cassie Powers (six aces, two digs, one kill) and Zariyah Allen (six digs, two aces) also came up big.

Cameron Van Dyke and Emma Leavitt peppered King’s with three service aces apiece to help fill up the stat sheet.

 

Level 2 and 3:

The former fell 25-14, 25-11, 15-5, while the latter battled through a 25-14, 25-6, 25-7 loss.

“The level two team played really well during the second half of the first set,” said Wolf coach Kristina Hooks.

“There were a lot of great passes and serves; I was really impressed with Emily (Rains) during one rally in the game — she was ready for every ball that came her way.”

As the season has progressed, Hooks has seen improvement from her spikers, many of whom are fairly new to the game. Now the key is to keep building on the lessons learned.

“Our biggest problem for both teams that we are still working on is moving our feet to the ball and not being scared of the ball,” she said.

“It takes a lot of time and practice in order to determine where a ball is going to go and how to anticipate that.

“My main goal for the level three team is to build their confidence in their abilities and to remember everything from practice during game situations.”

 

What’s next:

After three straight at home, the Wolves now play three straight on the road, traveling to Northshore Christian Academy (Oct. 14), Sultan (Oct. 16), and Granite Falls (Oct. 17).

The season then concludes back at home, with South Whidbey visiting Coupeville Oct. 21.

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Spike crew still fairly flawless

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 3, 2024| 1 Comment »

Wolf seniors Taylor Brotemarkle (2) and Chloe Marzocca celebrate their teammate’s success. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Check another thing off the to-do list.

The Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad is methodically garnering achievements as the season plays out.

The Wolves beat the Evil Empire (La Conner).

Won a battle of undefeated teams with Darrington.

And now have upended Orcas Island, the defending Northwest 2B/1B League champs, sweeping the visiting Vikings in straight sets Thursday.

The Homecoming week win lifts Coupeville to 5-0 in conference action, 6-0 overall, and Cory Whitmore’s squad has yet to lose a set this go-round.

Dominating from start to finish against Orcas, the Wolves claimed a 25-8, 25-13, 25-15 triumph, giving the CHS spike program its best start since the 2019 team won its first seven matches.

Coupeville is also one of just three 2B schools still undefeated this season, with Adna (7-0) and Freeman (8-0) the others.

About the only thing which slowed the Wolves down Thursday was the perils of inter-island transportation, which had Orcas arriving a half hour late for an afternoon tilt.

Once the teams were on the floor and warmed up, the CHS net crew was locked-in and in full-on destruction mode.

A tip winner from Mia Farris kicked off the match, and Coupeville rode hot streaks at the service line from Tenley Stuurmans and Teagan Calkins to blow things wide open.

Calkins, who was honored as an Athlete of the Week winner by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association earlier in the day, dropped a nasty ace on the Vikings, the ball skidding away to stake her squad to a 19-4 lead.

While Orcas briefly (very briefly) rallied, the Wolves closed out the opening frame with a flurry of kills off the scorching fingertips of Farris, Madison McMillan, and Lyla Stuurmans.

The second set was almost a mirror image of the first, with the Wolves peppering the Vikings with brutal serves, popping note-perfect passes to each other, and crushing kills in all directions.

CHS setter Katie Marti, running from one side of the floor to the other, even went renegade at one point, using her leg to keep a ball alive with a soccer-style kick.

The perfectly legal, yet rarely used, play rocked the Orcas defense, or maybe they were just in run-and-hide mode because Marti’s kick was followed 0.02 seconds later by Farris peeling paint off the back line with a juicy kill.

Everyone was getting in on the action, with Jada Heaton walloping a winner at the net, before sophomore Dakota Strong delivered her first-ever varsity kill.

It came on set point and unleashed a tidal wave of joy from the Wolf bench, which mobbed her.

It wasn’t the last time that scene would play out, either, as another sophomore, Lexis Drake, matched Strong by closing out set #3, and the match, with HER first-ever varsity kill.

That winner capped a crush of big hits, with the Wolves taking turns seeing who could spin the nastiest kill against an Orcas squad which lost its All-League masher to graduation after winning last year’s crown.

Madison McMillan launches the attack.

Whitmore, who notched his 94th win with the CHS volleyball program, was pleased to have a low stress win during one of the most frantic weeks on the school calendar.

Now the Wolf spikers can go participate in Homecoming-related events the next two days content in the knowledge they’ll carry a spotless record into the new week.

“We played very, very clean for the first two sets,” Whitmore said. “I think we missed like only two serves in that time.

“We stayed very in system, even when they tried to move us around,” he added.

“There were some errors later, but the girls recognized what was happening, took control, and fixed things on their own. I like to see that.”

 

Thursday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 7 digs
Teagan Calkins — 9 kills, 8 digs, 1 assist, 1 block assist, 4 aces
Lexis Drake — 1 kill
Mia Farris — 9 kills, 13 digs, 1 assist
Jada Heaton — 1 kill
Katie Marti — 3 kills, 7 digs, 27 assists, 2 aces
Madison McMillan — 8 kills, 7 digs, 1 ace
Dakota Strong — 1 kill
Lyla Stuurmans — 4 kills, 5 digs, 2 solo blocks, one block assist
Tenley Stuurmans — 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 ace

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Balanced Wolves sink Vikings

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Tenley Stuurmans chases down a wayward volleyball. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

They beat the clock and beat the Vikings.

Playing second Thursday night, the Coupeville High School JV volleyball squad knew that visiting Orcas Island would have to sprint back to the ferry at a certain time, regardless of the score.

So, the Wolves made quick work of their foes, rolling to a 25-15, 25-18, 13-15 win which left their foes plenty of time to amble back to the boat.

The victory lifts Coupeville’s JV to 4-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 5-1 overall, with another home game — this one against Friday Harbor — next up on the schedule.

That one won’t be until Oct. 8, however, so the Wolves have time to bask in the afterglow of Thursday’s methodical dismembering of the Vikings.

Getting floor time for all 12 girls on her roster, JV coach Ashley Menges spread out the love, and her spikers responded.

Freshman Tenley Stuurmans sprayed kills in the first set, while Adeline Maynes provided a game-busting run of excellence at the service stripe.

The Wolves rebounded from an 11-9 deficit, finishing the frame on a 14-6 tear to claim supremacy.

Lexis Drake and Dakota Strong, who both nailed their first-ever varsity kill in the night’s opening match, closed out the first set with winners, and the rout was on.

Point, Coupeville.

Coupeville led from start to finish in frame #2, with Sydney Van Dyke punching a pair of service aces to put the Vikings back on their heels.

Isa Mc Fetridge and Maynes also came up big on their serve, while the play of the night came late in the set.

Waxing the floor with her uniform, Haylee Armstrong went face-first to the hardwood, somehow getting her fingers barely under a ball preparing to kick away for an Orcas point.

Instead, the sensational sophomore flicked the orb skyward at the very last moment, then two hits later, Maynes froze the defense with a tip for a winner to drive a stake through the heart of Viking Nation.

While Orcas did eke out a win in a shortened third set, it was just for practice, with the match already decided in favor of Cow Town.

Willow Leedy-Bonifas and Armstrong dominated at the service line in the late going for the Wolves.

 

Thursday stats:

Capri Anter — 2 digs
Haylee Armstrong — 3 digs, 1 assist, 3 aces
Lexis Drake — 6 kills, 1 ace
Willow Leedy-Bonifas — 1 assist, 1 ace
Adeline Maynes — 1 kill, 1 dig, 9 assists, 6 aces
Isa Mc Fetridge — 2 aces
Chelsi Stevens — 1 kill
Dakota Strong — 6 kills
Tenley Stuurmans — 6 kills, 3 assists, 1 ace
Sydney Van Dyke — 1 kill, 1 dig, 2 aces

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