Jaimee Masters and her fellow Coupeville volleyball seniors are having a tough time getting their customary celebration. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
“I feel like we are in an episode of The Twilight Zone.”
This pandemic-altered school year has been a difficult one for everyone involved in athletics, and Coupeville High School volleyball coach Cory Whitmore has spent much of his season just trying to keep things working.
With four of seven Northwest 2B/1B League schools having Covid issues which have affected volleyball, the Wolves have seen their schedule change almost daily.
The latest hit — Concrete cancelling on Coupeville hours before what was supposed to be Senior Night in Cow Town.
The Lions reported two positive Covid cases in their spiker program, erasing Saturday’s varsity and JV matches, and shutting Concrete’s program down a week before the end of the season.
This follows on the heels of La Conner and Darrington both taking 10-day breaks mid-season after their own positive cases, while Friday Harbor sat out all fall sports after cases spiked in the San Juan Islands.
Coupeville, Mount Vernon Christian, and Orcas Island — which has instituted a no-fan policy for all games — are the only schools to avoid Covid quarantines (knock on wood) during the compressed fall season.
The Wolves have been affected, though, especially when it has come to trying to hold Senior Night.
CHS has one home contest left among its three remaining scheduled matches — but that is against Orcas, which will only play if fans are barred from the gym.
At this point, Coupeville’s Senior Night has been switched at least three times, only to have each plan upended by the pandemic.
Whitmore and Coupeville Athletic Director Willie Smith are scrambling (once again) to make sure Wolf 12th graders Jaimee Masters, Maddie Vondrak, Chelsea Prescott, and Kylie Chernikoff get their moment in the spotlight in front of friends and family.
Two possibilities include arranging a match with Darrington — now back from quarantine — or switching a May 7 road match at La Conner to a home affair.
For Whitmore, who was writing letters to his senior spikers when the Concrete cancellation came, the mission is simple.
“We can still honor our incredible seniors that deserve recognition,” he said.
“We will make it happen.”
UPDATE #1 — May 1 – 1:40 PM:
Senior Night rescheduled for Wednesday, May 5, with Darrington coming to Coupeville.
JV at 5:00 PM in CMS gym, varsity 6:30 in CHS gym.
UPDATE #2 — May 3 – 12:45 PM:
Concrete volleyball program reinstated by Skagit Health Department.
Darrington match cancelled.
Friday, May 7 match with La Conner switched from road game to home game, and will be new Senior Night.
JV 6:00, varsity 7:30.
Coupeville Sports 