Lyla Stuurmans brings the heat. (Bailey Thule photo)
It’s 126 miles, one way, from Neah Bay to Coupeville.
So, when the Red Devils volleyball squad hopped on the bus Wednesday and endured the epic trek, they made sure to guarantee the trip back home would be a happy one.
While in Cow Town, Neah Bay’s varsity spikers played the top two teams from the Northwest 2B/1B League and bounced them both.
After opening play with a four-set win over La Conner, the visitors from a faraway land returned to the court and held off Coupeville 25-16, 25-19, 27-25.
The non-conference victories lift Neah Bay to 3-0, while the Wolves fall to 0-2, and the Braves — the four-time defending 2B state champs — crash to 0-3.
La Conner has already matched its loss total from last season, when Hall of Fame coach Suzanne Marble’s final run finished at 17-3.
Not that Coupeville’s players, coaches, or fans were all that concerned with the struggles of a new-look Braves squad.
Instead, they were focused on their own showdown with a 1B Neah Bay team which looks like it could make some noise come playoff time.
The Red Devils never trailed in the opening set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead, then keeping the advantage at 5-7 points the rest of the way.
Coupeville sputtered a bit at the service line, failing to launch any runs, but did get some nice sniping from Issabel Johnson, whose sharp work was hailed by Wolf coach Cory Whitmore.
Grey Peabody, who brought the thunder all night with a team-high 13 kills, delivered a couple of big-time spike winners to keep Neah Bay’s defenders on their toes, while Jada Heaton and Lyla Stuurmans combined to stuff a would-be spike.
Grey Peabody (8), Coupeville’s kill leader. (Bailey Thule photo)
Toss in a booming winner off the fist of Teagan Calkins, and Coupeville had its moments early.
Just not enough of them.
The Wolves found a bit more of a groove in the second set, taking the lead and holding it from 1-0 through 10-9.
Mia Farris mashed a winner which brought an appreciative yelp from the student section, while Peabody stalked the net like a regal lioness, daring anyone to try and hit it past her.
Most times they could not, as the CHS senior lashed winners which tore through a thicket of arms on their way to paydirt.
Neah Bay finally pulled in front at 11-10, though the Wolves fought back to force ties at 17-17 and 18-18.
Back-to-back winners from Peabody, following hot on the heels of a service ace off the electric arm of Farris made that last tie a reality.
But the Red Devils are both talented and consistent, and they quickly righted the ship, claiming seven of the final eight points to take the set.
Down two sets to none, Coupeville played its best volleyball in the third frame, leading by as many as eight points at 19-11.
Stuurmans and Madison McMillan were twin kill machines, while setter Katie Marti filled up the whole stat sheet, slapping a low, deadly kill of her own.
Madison McMillan is tearing up the court. (Bailey Thule photo)
The Wolves couldn’t hold on to the lead, but did have a set point at 24-23, after knockout hustle plays from Taylor Brotemarkle and Peabody.
Brotemarkle slid across the floor for about 107 feet, likely peeling off a layer of skin during the slide, to save a runaway ball which turned into a Wolf point.
Then Peabody, while airborne and bending backwards at the kind of angle which makes writers feel sympathy pains deep down in their own battered spines, somehow reached just high enough to catch a passing ball with her fingertips.
What should have been a Neah Bay winner instead went the other way, as Coupeville’s veteran redirected the ball back over the net, spinning it through multiple defenders and catching the Red Devils flatfooted.
The visitors held off the ensuing set point, but it took them two tries before they could convert on their own match point.
The first one was denied by, who else, Peabody, who cracked one last winner before Neah Bay delivered its own exclamation point spikes to end the match.
Cory Whitmore imparts wisdom. (Jackie Saia photo)
Afterwards, Coupeville volleyball sage Cory Whitmore looked more than a bit exhausted.
He started the day off teaching in Oak Harbor and finished it in a different town, coaching, scouting (while being interrupted by passerby), and reffing the JV game, while answering never-ending questions regarding line judges, pregame music, and even the student section’s choice of spirit clothes.
But, as he pondered the match, and possibly daydreamed of drinks on a Brazilian beach, or at least being allowed to go eat dinner at home, Whitmore graciously took the time to answer one last round of questions.
“Grey did a phenomenal job tonight, and Katie was strong, finding her and putting her in a good spot to attack,” he said.
“Madison got to every ball and kept us in points,” Whitmore added. “She was just strong all-around, and it was nice to see Issabel come off the bench and deliver for us on her serves.”
And then the last light in the gym went off, and things momentarily hit pause.
For a bit, at least.
Practice beckons tomorrow, another match soon, and, to slightly twist a late ’80s country music hit — the road goes on forever and the questions never end.
Wednesday stats:
Taylor Brotemarkle — 12 digs, 1 assist
Teagan Calkins — 2 kills, 1 ace
Mia Farris — 6 kills, 18 digs, 1 ace
Jada Heaton — 1 kill, 1 block assist
Issabel Johnson — 1 dig, 1 ace
Katie Marti — 1 kill, 4 digs, 21 assists, 3 aces, 1 block assist
Madison McMillan — 1 kill, 10 digs, 1 ace
Grey Peabody — 13 kills, 2 digs, 1 block assist, 1 solo block
Lyla Stuurmans — 5 kills, 16 digs, 1 assist, 1 block assist
Coupeville Sports 