Capri Anter, seen last season, is off to play high school volleyball next year. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
They played their strongest in the finale.
Toss away the scores, and the Coupeville Middle School spikers peaked perfectly Wednesday in Langley, just the way coaches Cris Matochi and Raven Vick hoped.
“I believe this is by far the best volleyball, but the scores didn’t reflect that today,” Matochi said. “I was pleased that we played good volleyball, not desperate volleyball.”
How the day unfolded:
Varsity:
The second clash between next-door neighbors in three days went to the host team, with the Cougars nipping Coupeville 25-23, 26-24, 15-11 in a reversal of Monday’s Wolf win.
The loss drops CMS to 4-4 heading into the awards banquet.
Win or lose, Matochi liked what he saw from the girls on the floor.
“We read the balls, not reacted to the balls, which was great,” he said. “I was excited that the girls who came in, did their roles and played their best.
“This was the first time we ran a full new rotation, learning defense and hitting systems that were not executed before,” Matochi added.
“I think that the biggest opponent that we had today was our own minds, but I’m excited to see how today’s matches will elevate the girls game next year.”
Using a mix of full-time varsity spikers and swing players who got their first taste of the high life in the final week, the Wolves jelled and flourished.
“It was great to see how Willow (Leedy-Bonifas) reset from the JV to play on varsity,” Matochi said.
“Haylee (Armstrong’s) serves changed the game. She just chipped and chipped away,” he added. “Rhylin (Price) took a bigger role with serve receive and was a main player in our lineup.
“Capri (Anter) being consistent tonight was such a plus. As well as Lexis (Drake) was able to recover quickly and finish on a good note, which is something we love to see.”
Both matches against their archrivals were tense, hard-fought affairs, giving the Wolves a taste of battles to come.
“We walked in the gym knowing it would be a tough match and the girls ended up letting the pressure overcome their skills,” Matochi said. “Though we are both confident that this will make them better next year.
“The coaches would like to thank the players who are moving on to high school next year and we want to celebrate their accomplishments,” he added.
“They built up our team and were a great asset and we are excited to see where they go next year.”
JV:
Coupeville’s second squad battled to the end in a 25-23, 25-18, 15-8 loss, leaving its final record at 1-7.
“I’m incredibly impressed with how well we played and had good energy for the most part throughout the whole game,” Raven Vick said.
The former Wolf praised the players who grew as the season progressed.
“Olivia (Martin) did well with holding her platform and she was highly successful with that,” Vick said. “This was the best Alyssa (McGee) played this season and she got a few playable balls up.
“Izzy (Bowder) worked really hard on passing today, too. Everyone chipped in with serving, but we lacked consistency.”
CMS 6th grader Emma Leavitt opened the match with a six-point run at the service stripe, with her reign of terror only ending when the ref belatedly remembered the five-serve limit in middle school volleyball.
“Tonight, Emma did well with serving and consistently put a run in at the line,” Vick said. “KeeAyra (Brown) did well with passing and had one incredible save where she got it back over the net when no one else thought it was going to happen.
“Cheyanne (Atteberry) had a couple of good passes, which helped out the team.”
The serene nature and competitive fire of one Wolf player made a particular impression as the season wrapped.
“Willow (Leedy-Bonifas) was a calm fire on the court,” Vick said. “Always encouraging her team while staying her fairly quiet self.
“She has a way of keeping the court humming along without most people in the stands noticing,” she added.
“Willow is a quiet leader, and we as coaches are so excited to see how much she stepped up this season.”
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