Even as a freshman, Ashley Menges loved being on the volleyball court. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
“Smashley” rises up to flick a winner.
The end of the road, as Menges and Emma Smith bring a close to a successful run with Coupeville High School coach Cory Whitmore.
Ashley Menges was the glue.
During her four-year run at the heart of the Coupeville High School volleyball program, “Smashley” gave the Wolves a bit of everything.
She could smoke service winners, flip end-over-end to save balls which looked like goners, soar into the heavens to smash spikes, and deliver perfect lil’ set-ups for her teammates to get the glory.
Through it all, the transcendent young woman who ended her career as a team captain, as a key player on back-to-back league title teams, as a state meet veteran who helped CHS to three straight 10+ win seasons, was pure class.
Menges is talented, is a firecracker on the floor, and worked as hard as anyone.
But it was her willingness to take on whatever role was necessary for the betterment of the team which made the biggest impression on those in the stands.
Want her to be a setter? Check.
Want her to be a big-time hitter? Check.
Want her to dominate from the back-line, sacrificing her body (and her stats) to do the dirty work? Check.
Through it all, Menges played with great joy.
Teaming up with Emma Smith and Maddy Hilkey, or Maya Toomey-Stout and Chelsea Prescott, or any of a thousand other teammate combinations, the versatile Wolf ace lived and breathed for volleyball.
Well, when she wasn’t riding her horse and taking all the medals in equestrian competitions, at least.
Menges balanced her love for horses and spikes through a torrid four-year high school run that was all about winning.
As a sophomore, she was part of new CHS coach Cory Whitmore’s first team, which finished 11-6 overall, claiming the Olympic League title with an 8-1 mark.
A year later, Menges and Co. went a flawless 9-0 in conference action (winning all 27 sets they played against Klahowya, Port Townsend, and Chimacum).
After finishing 12-2 in regular-season play, the Wolves split matches at districts, knocking Cascade Christian out in a winner-to-state rumble.
It was the first time Coupeville volleyball had punched a ticket to the big dance in 13 years.
While the Wolves fell to powerhouses Castle Rock and Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls), it remains a huge turning point for the CHS program.
That carried over into Menges’ senior season this past fall, as she and Smith accepted the roles of team captains as Coupeville moved to the tougher North Sound Conference.
Along with stepping to the forefront, Menges also slid into a new position late in her career, moving out from setter to patrol the floor on the right side.
That allowed the team greater flexibility, while giving “Smashley” a chance to live up to her nickname.
And she did, helping the Wolves survive and thrive.
Coupeville (11-5 overall, 7-3 in league) claimed second-place in their new six-team surroundings, twice smushing arch-rival South Whidbey in key matches and giving undefeated league champ King’s some of its toughest bouts.
In her final moments in a Wolf uniform, Menges fought on every play, helping the Wolves make a run which came up just short at districts.
The CHS spikers pulled off a stunning come-from-behind win over Cedar Park Christian, however, avenging a late-season loss and eliminating their league rivals.
Then, Menges and Co. went five brutal sets against Nooksack Valley the day before Halloween, their season ending on a miracle, bloop shot which somehow worked its way through a maze of Wolves and found the floor.
The loss hurt at the time, but it never took a bit of the shine off of Menges, of how hard she played, how much she honored herself and her teammates through four years with her attitude, her skills, and, most of all, her heart.
Ashley’s mom, Jennifer, was always one of the most-enthusiastic Wolf fans, and her daughter deserved every one of those cheers.
Today, the dynamic duo have something more to celebrate, as the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame opens its doors to welcome “Smashley” into its hallowed halls.
After this, you’ll find her hanging out at the top of the blog, up under the Legends tab.
It’s a fitting residence for a young woman of great talent, strength, and grace, a killer on the court and an even-bigger winner in real life.
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