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Rains, Leavitt serve up big win

October 8, 2026 by David Svien

Emily Rains plots your destruction. (Julie Wheat photos)

Ace, ace, in your face.

Wolf heavy hitters Emma Leavitt and Emily Rains were on point Thursday in Darrington, each firing off 10 unhittable serves, and a whole lot of other ones where the return ended up in the bleachers.

Powered by the wham-bam sisters, and a team-wide 26 aces, the Coupeville High School JV volleyball squad cruised to its third win in its last four matches.

Sweeping the host Loggers off the floor to a 25-18, 25-6, 25-12 tune, Alita Blouin’s spikers get to 3-3 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-6 overall.

The afternoon began with a crack of thunder, as Leavitt savaged Darrington with a serve that screamed past the defenders, and ended on another point-winning laser off the arm of Olivia Martin.

In between those titanic blows the Wolves offered their rivals very few opportunities to stage long rallies.

Coupeville was in control from start to finish, jumping out to staggering leads in the first two sets.

Riding a run of 10 straight points on her serve from Rains, the Wolves built a 13-1 margin in the opening frame, gave some points back, then closed things out with another run of strong serves from the Wolf freshman.

Rains also had a beautiful tip winner to blunt a Darrington rally, while Addison Jacobson whacked a spike off the backline to keep everyone honest.

Annabelle Cundiff brings the thunder and the lightning.

If set #1 was a bit of a romp, most of the time at least, set #2 was a full-on bushwacking.

Leavitt torched the Loggers for eight points at the service stripe, before Rains added another run of six straight winners as Coupeville went up 16-1.

This time the Wolves gave very little back, with Martin, Scarlett Spencer, and Jacobson joining the duo in controlling things on their serve.

While the match was already decided in favor of the visitors, the Wolves continued to carve up the Loggers in a third set played to get everyone valuable floor time.

Spencer came flying in from the side to deliver a pair of tip winners, while Annabelle Cundiff inherited the role of assassin, putting together a six-point run at the service stripe to bust things open.

Sabrina Judnich chipped in with hustle plays, Amira Anunciado and Hannah Roberts provided strong vocal support to their teammates, and Martin closed things out with a final burst of liquid fire, sending the Loggers back to their rooms without supper or a win.

 

Thursday stats:

Annabelle Cundiff — 3 aces
Addison Jacobson — 3 kills
Emma Leavitt — 1 dig, 5 assists, 10 aces
Olivia Martin — 1 kill, 4 digs, 2 aces
Emily Rains — 2 kills, 1 dig, 10 aces
Scarlett Spencer — 2 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace

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Everyone’s a scorer, everyone’s a winner

October 8, 2026 by David Svien

Emma Cushman is here for your cheers. (Jacob Lujan photos)

Spread the love.

That’s what the Coupeville High School girls’ soccer squad has done this season, with a program-best 12 players recording a goal.

The latest players to join the back of the net club are Emma Cushman and Hailey Goldman, who knocked in their first scores in a Wolf uniform Thursday to lift CHS to a 2-0 win at Providence Classical Christian.

The victory gets Coupeville back to .500 all the way around, as Jasmine Ader’s squad now sits at 3-3-2 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 4-4-2 overall.

With four conference clashes left on the schedule, led off by a road trip October 14 to winless Orcas Island, the Wolves are currently in fourth place in the seven-team NWL, and need a top three finish to earn a playoff berth.

Mount Vernon Christian (7-0 for 21 points), Friday Harbor (5-2 for 15), and Lopez Island (4-2-2 for 14) currently have those slots, with Coupeville hot on their heels with 11 points.

La Conner (2-2-2 for eight points), PCC (2-6 for six points) and Orcas (0-8 for nada) round out the standings.

Hailey Goldman triggers the offense.

Thursday’s win was huge for the Wolves and came from a strong team-wide effort.

Finley Helm and Bella Sandlin shared time in net, combining for the shutout and both coming up with big saves.

The former had an eye-popping dive save on a PCC shot, while the latter came up huge in the final 30 seconds of the game, snagging an incoming laser to keep the lid firmly clamped on the net.

Cushman’s goal was nailed on a successful penalty kick, while Goldman converted her score off of a pass from Lillian Ketterling, who sent a crisp shot in from the corner.

Even with Tamsin Ward, last year’s leading scorer, sidelined by a season-long injury so far, the Wolves have spread out their 22 goals between 12 players.

That handily beats the previous best tally of nine goal scorers set during the 2015 and 2017 seasons.

Posted in Girls Soccer | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

My kingdom for a title!

October 8, 2026 by David Svien

Lyla Stuurmans (4) and Madison McMillan (11) sparked CHS volleyball to a 4th place finish at the 2024 state tourney. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It is the most elusive thing in Cow Town sports history — a team state title.

At least at the high school level.

Now, the 2010 Central Whidbey Little League baseball team beat everyone to claim the top prize.

And, technically, the 2006 Coupeville High School cheer squad has a state crown to its credit — though cheer is classified as an activity and not a sport by the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association.

The Wolves have two individual state titles in cross country thanks to Natasha Bamberger and Tyler King, and a whole bunch of track and field titles, both for individuals and a boys’ 4 x 400 relay team.

But as we sit here in 2026, CHS has yet to join its neighbors, Oak Harbor (football) or South Whidbey (cross country, tennis) in winning the ultimate team prize.

Over the years, 43 Wolf teams have advanced to state, capturing 26 wins (21 from female athletes) and bringing home hardware several times.

Just not that trophy that says STATE CHAMPS.

Yet.

The hunt continues, with the first team to achieve the feat guaranteed to be immortalized forever.

Scott Hilborn pitched Wolf baseball to a big win over Toledo at the 2023 state tourney. (Photo courtesy Wendi Hilborn)

As we sit here on October 7, 2026, here’s what has gone down in the past, with a couple of small caveats.

In this exercise, tennis, golf, wrestling, swim, cross country, and track are MIA because athletes advance to state as individuals.

You can win a TEAM state title in those sports with just an athlete or two — it happens frequently in tennis for example — but you don’t need the entire team to qualify to get to the big dance in the first place.

Which is the case for basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, baseball, and football.

Out of those six sports, the only Wolf program still seeking its first trip to state is girls’ soccer. Sort of.

Back in 1994, long before CHS launched its own team, Coupeville girls could play with Oak Harbor.

That year, the coach (Carol Bartelson), the top scorer (Marnie Bartelson), and the all-star goalie (Amanda Allmer) were all Wolves and led the team to a 4th place finish in the 4A classification.

But they did it wearing Oak Harbor’s purple and gold, with Wildcats stitched on the jerseys, and the WIAA lists the achievement on the page for OHHS and not CHS.

With that in mind, here’s the state tourney history for CHS team sports (as documented by the aforementioned WIAA):

 

Baseball:

First trip: 1973
Most-recent trip: 2023
Total trips: 10
State tourney wins: 3
Schools beaten: Kittitas, White Swan, Toledo
Best finish: 3rd in 1987

 

Boys Basketball:

First trip: 1970
Most-recent trip: 2024
Total trips: 7
State tourney wins: 2
Schools beaten: Columbia (Burbank), Montesano
Best finish: No trophies

 

Boys Soccer:

First trip: 2009
Most-recent trip: 2010
Total trips: 2
State tourney wins: None
Schools beaten: None
Best finish: No trophies

 

Football:

First trip: 1974
Most-recent trip: 2022
Total trips: 5
State tourney wins: None
Schools beaten: None
Best finish: No trophies

 

Girls Basketball:

First trip: 1998
Most-recent trip: 2016
Total trips: 7
State tourney wins: 7
Schools beaten: Freeman, Onalaska, Overlake, Winlock, River View, Cascade Christian, Zillah
Best finish: 6th in 2002

 

Softball:

First trip: 2002
Most-recent trip: 2026
Total trips: 5
State tourney wins: 8
Schools beaten: Cle Elum, Royal, Okanogan, Napavine, Deer Park, Colfax, Raymond-South Bend, Friday Harbor
Best finish: 3rd in 2002

 

Volleyball:

First trip: 2001
Most-recent trip: 2024
Total trips: 7
State tourney wins: 6
Schools beaten: King’s, Freeman, Toutle Lake, Zillah, Tonasket, Mossyrock
Best finish: 4th in 2024

Softball has the most state tourney wins of any CHS program. (Jackie Saia photo)

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Fog busters, trail conquerors

October 7, 2026 by David Svien

Wolves (left to right) Zach Blitch, Kenneth Jacobsen, and Ivy Rudat take a break from running to create a Senior Night moment. (Julie Wheat photo)

The boat was slow; the feet were fast.

Hampered by persistent fog, the ferry crossing Wednesday afternoon to Friday Harbor wasn’t the quickest in history.

But even though the Coupeville High School cross country squad arrived after the planned 4:00 PM start time, their hosts waited for the Wolves before hitting the trail.

Then spent the rest of the day chasing the fleet-footed invaders, as CHS claimed four of the top six slots.

Cyrus Sparacio and Henry Purdue went 1-2 in the boy’s race, while Anna Powers and Ivy Rudat finished second and third, respectively, in the girls’ rumble.

Top three finishers bask in the limelight. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Even with the late start, Coupeville coach Elizabeth Bitting came away happy with the performance of her team on the 5,000-meter course at the San Juan Golf and Country Club.

“Everyone ran AMAZING!” she said. “I am imagining LOTS of PR’s.”

The Wolves get back at it in a couple of days, traveling to Granite Falls Saturday for the 6th annual Mountain Loop Invitational, which will feature 13 high school teams, five middle school squads, and a running club.

 

Wednesday results:

 

GIRLS:

Anna Powers (2nd) 22:38.0
Ivy Rudat (3rd) 24:15.0
Claire Lachnit (5th) 25:49.0
Allie Powers (6th) 26:43.0
Laken Simpson (7th) 26:44.0
Devon Wyman (8th) 27:01.0
Emma Green (10th) 28:22.0
Ava Lucero (12th) 29:32.0

 

BOYS:

Cyrus Sparacio (1st) 17:19.0
Henry Purdue (2nd) 18:19.0
Beckett Green (7th) 19:23.0
Archer Schwarz (8th) 19:29.0
Kenneth Jacobsen (11th) 19:49.0
Ossian Merkel (14th) 20:27.0
Leo Davis (17th) 21:35.0
Isaiah Allen (18th) 21:37.0
Hunter Atteberry (22nd) 23:34.0
Johnathan Jacobsen (24th) 25:55.0
Nolan Hunt (25th) 28:25.0
Zach Blitch (26th) 34:37.0

No fog on land, just clear skies and open trails. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

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Wolf grads reunite as (friendly) rivals

October 7, 2026 by David Svien

Lyla Stuurmans (left) and Mia Farris, lifelong friends and volleyball wizards. (Sarah Stuurmans photo)

The Wolves were out in full force at Whatcom College Wednesday night.

Two Coupeville grads were on the volleyball court, and another two were working the sidelines as cheerleaders, as a full-scale CHS reunion went down during a college athletic event.

On the floor, Mia Farris and the host Orcas squared off with Lyla Stuurmans and her Skagit Valley College teammates, with Whatcom pulling out a tense five-set win on Dig Pink Night.

The match went back and forth, before eventually finishing 25-20, 18-25, 28-26, 20-25, 15-13 in favor of Whatcom, a razor-thin margin in which the host team nipped the visitors by a single point, 108-107, if you count it up that way.

The win lifts the Orcas to 8-12 on the season, while SVC drops to 10-8.

While the former Wolf teammates, now college sophomores, played for the third time at the next level (Farris leads 2-1 with one more battle set for October 30 in Mount Vernon), CHS grads Pamela Morrell and Ember Light were also on the scene.

The duo is part of a relaunched Whatcom cheer squad which provided plenty of spirit for fans in the stands.

Ember Light gets a better view of the action. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Morrell)

Stuurmans and Farris, both named as CHS Athlete of the Year winners during their stellar Cow Town high school days, are both filling up the stat sheet this season.

The former collected seven kills, 10 digs, an assist, two solo blocks, and two service aces Wednesday, while the latter had a match-high 29 digs, four assists, and two aces.

For the year, Stuurmans has 105 kills, seven assists, 17 service aces, 158 digs, seven solo blocks, 25 block assists, and 141.5 points.

Farris, who has played multiple positions for the Orcas, has 36 kills, 26 assists, 38 aces, 253 digs, two solo blocks, a block assist, and 76.5 points.

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