Lyla Stuurmans, destroyer of universes. (Jackie Saia photos)
Off the schneid, with a vengeance.
After opening the season with a pair of ultra-competitive losses against strong foes, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad thrashed previously unbeaten Mount Vernon Christian Tuesday night.
Drilling the host Hurricanes 25-22, 25-15, 25-17 in a non-conference match against a league rival, the Wolves get to 1-2 and make a serious statement.
MVC entered the night at 2-0, having won all six sets it had played against Friday Harbor and Lake Quinault.
Enter Coupeville, coming off a heartbreaking five-set defeat to next-door neighbor South Whidbey and a tense tussle with juggernaut Neah Bay.
On the road for the first time this season, and with a few more practices under their belts, the Wolves hit the floor in a groove, and never let up, shushing the pro-Hurricane crowd in a hurry.
“Really fun game to be a part of and guide this team through,” said CHS coach Cory Whitmore.
“MVC is much improved from some previous seasons and so we really had to earn our points, and it was done in a very connected and energetic way.”
Coupeville heavy hitters (l to r) Madison McMillan, Issabel Johnson, and Jada Heaton launch a celebration.
Coupeville got contributions from across the board, with junior setter Katie Marti unleashing perhaps the best match of her varsity career.
“Katie was especially phenomenal tonight,” Whitmore said. “She made really strong decisions; whether she was in-system or pulled off the net a bit, she found and led hitters to success.
“She served tough and consistent, and collected a large number of digs.”
Whitmore cautions that the stat sheet — seen below — is a bit of a work in progress, with several young players learning the complex, often frantic job of keeping stats while under fire.
Even if the numbers aren’t flawless, however, they showcase multiple Wolves shining brightly.
Whether it was Lyla Stuurmans with a double-double (14 kills and 10 digs), or birthday girl Madison McMillan ably filling whatever role she is handed, things were clicking.
“Lyla looked really at-ease out there, in addition to some really smart attacking decisions,” Whitmore said.
“Madison did a great job as our libero, and commanded the space around her – she played with energy but also looked very settled in.”
Teagan Calkins channels The Karate Kid.
Praise flowed from the Wolf spiker guru to every girl in uniform, with sophomore supernova Teagan Calkins continuing to earn playing time with her hustle and skill.
“Teagan also received a lot of attacking attempts and took care of the ball,” Whitmore said. “I was impressed that she seemed to get better as the night went on.
“Honestly, I could give them all shoutouts because every player on the team really gave a lot to this win.”
After two tough losses, Tuesday’s victory was a two-for-one deal, counting both in the win/loss column and in helping the psyche of the Wolf players.
“It wasn’t just the win, it was the fashion in which they took control of the space and management of the game,” Whitmore said.
“Very excited for them and what this could mean for moving forward.”
Match added:
Earlier in the day, Coupeville got a bonus, as CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith locked in another non-conference match to help fill out the schedule.
The Wolves will host Providence Classical Christian Oct. 16, with both varsity and JV playing that night.
Tipoff is 5:00 PM for the young guns, with the headliners set to take the floor at 6:30.
Tuesday stats:
Taylor Brotemarkle — 3 digs, 2 assists
Teagan Calkins — 6 kills, 3 aces
Mia Farris — 6 kills, 10 digs, 2 aces
Jada Heaton — 1 kill
Katie Marti — 2 kills, 3 digs, 21 assists, 4 aces
Madison McMillan — 1 kill, 10 digs, 4 assists, 3 aces
Grey Peabody — 5 kills
Lyla Stuurmans — 14 kills, 10 digs, 1 assist, 2 aces
Coming to torch a gym near you.
Coupeville Sports 