Controlling the middle ground between teammates Breeanna Messner (5) and Madeline Strasburg, Wolf setter Sydney Aparicio makes the play. (Shelli Trumbull photo)
Sydney Aparicio has a large fan base.
Attend any Coupeville High School volleyball match or football game this fall and it’s obvious. From her parents, Mitch and Tami Aparicio, to her grandparents, Cec and Kaye Stuurmans, and tons of other interrelated family members, half the town calls the Wolf junior one of their own.
Whether she’s setting for the spikers or front and center as a key member of the CHS cheer squad, Aparicio always seems to have a huge, beaming smile on her face. And that eternal good-will that flows from her is returned by her vocal rooting section.
Don’t think Aparicio doesn’t notice.
“My parents have a really big impact on my life,” Aparicio said. “They support me so much with everything I do. There’s not one sports event when I don’t look out in the crowd and see them cheering me on.”
They have plenty of events to be at, as Aparicio is a four-sport threat, adding in basketball in the winter and softball in the spring. Toss in academics (she’s especially enjoying an on-line photography course from Skagit Valley Community College), spending time with her friends and a job at Whidberry Frozen Yogurt in Oak Harbor and you have a busy young woman.
But also one who is skilled in the art of finding pieces of time for all her pursuits.
“It takes a lot of juggling and managing my time to do both (cheer and volleyball), but, in the end I enjoy both and wouldn’t have it any other way,” Aparicio said. “It’s hard and it takes a lot of self discipline to go straight from volleyball practice to cheer in an hour, but I make it through.”
Ferocious in guarding the back line, Aparicio frequently spends a good chunk of each match sprawled on the floor, having sacrificed her knees to keep rallies alive. She also teams with Megan Oakes to provide perfectly placed balls lobbed right into the spike zone where heavy hitters Bessie Walstad, Hailey Hammer and Breeanna Messner can pound them off of the outstretched arms of back-pedaling foes.
“I really enjoy volleyball. All of the girls on my team are wonderful, which really helps me enjoy it,” Aparicio said. “I think my strengths are staying positive and encouraging my team; I also don’t get down on myself very easily.
“My goals this year are to get together and really learn to play as a team,” she added. “My personal goals are to get better each game I play and put forth all my effort.”
Aparicio’s hustle and positive mind-set will be crucial as the Wolves (2-8) look to snap a five-match losing streak. With a home rematch Thursday against Sultan, a team they have already beaten this season, there is still potential to go out on a winning note.
“I think our highlights for our team this year was our Sultan game,” Aparicio said. “Even though we lost one of our seniors (Walstad) during the game, we really pulled through as a team and won.”
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