Sophomore Lyla Stuurmans pounded 11 kills Tuesday, sparking Coupeville to a win at Darrington. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
They’re battle-tested.
Bouncing back from a slow start Tuesday at Darrington, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball team roared back to chop down the host Loggers.
Paced by 11 kills apiece from big-hitting sophomores Lyla Stuurmans and Mia Farris, the Wolves eventually won 20-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-15.
The victory lifts Coupeville to 2-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play and evens its season mark at 2-2.
Both Wolf losses were tense affairs with bigger 1A schools.
Tuesday’s victory was a milestone, marking the 100th match for coach Cory Whitmore at CHS.
Now in his seventh season at the helm of the Wolves, he’s led his team to a 68-32 mark, accounting for the second-best winning percentage of any CHS program between 2016 and 2022.
And it’s a nailbiter, with Wolf softball going 83-38 for a .686 mark under Kevin McGranahan, nipping volleyball’s .680.
Though, with 10 more matches on the schedule, plus potential playoff rumbles, the spikers could be on top by season’s end.
Tuesday night Whitmore’s focus, as always, was firmly locked in the moment.
“Definitely another test for us tonight, but one with us coming out on top,” he said.
After bouncing across the countryside in a bus for 90 miles, then sitting through the JV contest, the Wolves needed a bit of time to snap into gear.
“We came out flat in the first set, trading points,” Whitmore said. “We took care of the ball pretty well but just didn’t come out firing and they did.
“After dropping the first we then got going a bit, finishing rallies and forcing them into tough hitting situations,” he added.
“It was fun to see a couple players kick it into high gear to help spark us to the win.”
Mia Farris (6) matched Stuurmans with 11 kills. (Jackie Saia photo)
Whitmore praised senior setter Maddie Georges for “serving up tough strings of points to push our gaps,” while the young guns all chipped in with strong work.
“Madison McMillan came off the bench to serve tough and confident,” he said. “After a bit of a slow start, Mia Farris got going with high hard hits sparking our wins in the third and fourth in particular.
“Grey Peabody struggled a bit in the first and second but found her rhythm in the fourth, especially with some strong connections,” Whitmore added.
“I was proud to see Lyla Stuurmans remain consistent all night on the attack and she ended up tying for kills leader.”
Showing the grit to turn a bit of a nailbiter into a solid victory, especially deep on the road, should benefit the Wolves going forward.
“All-in-all, it was a team effort to get out of there with a win,” Whitmore said. “And we are happy to be back at home Thursday.”
Coupeville hosts Orcas Island, with varsity tipping at 3:30 PM, followed by the JV in the night’s finale.
Tuesday stats:
Alita Blouin — 17 digs, 3 assists, 2 aces
Mia Farris — 11 kills, 1 block assist
Maddie Georges — 1 kill, 7 digs, 36 assists, 3 aces
Taygin Jump — 1 kill, 6 digs, 1 ace
Ryanne Knoblich — 6 kills, 4 digs, 3 aces
Madison McMillan — 2 aces
Grey Peabody — 7 kills, 1 block assist
Jill Prince — 9 kills, 1 solo block
Lyla Stuurmans — 11 kills, 4 digs
Senior supernova Alita Blouin continues to fill up the stat sheet. (Bailey Thule photo)
