Cory Whitmore | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Cory Whitmore’

Spikes, all day long!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged CHS Wolves, Cory Whitmore, development, Scout Smith, South Whidbey Invite, volleyball on September 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville High School spikers and coaches head off for a day of volleyball. (Cory Whitmore photo)

“We got better today – simple as that.”

Coming off of an opening night win, the Coupeville High School volleyball squad got valuable floor time Saturday where they could focus more on development than wins and losses.

Competing in the six-team South Whidbey Invite, the Wolves still did pretty darn well record-wise, winning four of six matches in pool play.

But for Wolf coach Cory Whitmore, development, especially for his younger players, trumped all on this day.

“We faced and overcame some challenges that will translate to valuable experience for league and playoff matches,” he said.

With key varsity players Ashley Menges and Ally Roberts absent (they’re competing in horse events at the state fair), freshman Scout Smith got the call-up to the big leagues.

And Scoutosaurus Rex responded in appropriate fashion.

“I’m excited that we got Scout A LOT of varsity playing time as the other setter,” Whitmore said. “She took half of the sets today and really stepped up and rose to the speed and physicality that varsity requires.

“I was impressed with her serving (again) but more so with the ease in which she took to running the offense with older teammates,” he added. “She looked comfortable out there and that’s not to be taken lightly.”

The Wolves (1-0) return to regular match play with back-to-back home bouts this coming week.

Chimacum is up first, coming to Whidbey Tuesday (5:00 JV/6:15 varsity) for the 1A Olympic League opener, followed by 2A Sequim Wednesday (4:15/5:30) for a non-conference match.

Read Full Post »

Wolves howl, Hurricanes crumble!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged CHS Wolves, Cory Whitmore, Mount Vernon Christian, season opener, Valen Trujillo, volleyball on September 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Hope Lodell had eight services aces to pace Coupeville to a straight-sets win Tuesday. (John Fisken photo)

Opening night was a rousing success.

Using strong serving and timely hitting, the Coupeville High School volleyball squad gave first-year coach Cory Whitmore a straight-sets win in his debut Tuesday, stomping visiting Mount Vernon Christian 25-15, 25-11, 25-21.

The non-conference win, coming against a school that finished 4th at the 1B state tourney last season, was a crowd-pleaser from start to finish.

Coupeville used long, successful runs at the service stripe from multiple players to control the match.

“That was our game plan, to take command in the first set and ramp up the pressure,” Whitmore said. “The team we have here trusts in the system and trusts me to do my best to put them in position to do well.”

Wolf junior Katrina McGranahan kicked things off early in the first set.

Stepping to the line with her squad trailing 4-2, she calmly ripped off winners on seven straight serves, with most of the action coming courtesy her own laser-powered arm.

McGranahan nailed one ace that curved in and bit a chunk of paint off the back-line at the last second.

A moment later she drilled another that left a scorch mark on the net as it crawled over (at a blistering speed), then exploded at the feet of a would-be returner.

A couple of big plays from Emma Smith — a block in which she soared to the ceiling and a knee-buckling spike — kept the Wolves close, before Valen Trujillo ended the first set on an emphatic note.

The senior captain, mixing speeds and getting crafty, took a 16-15 lead and ran off nine straight points on her serve to turn a taut battle into a runaway rout.

“It’s so tough to read her serves,” said a smiling Whitmore.

The final two sets were much the same, with Hope Lodell, Payton Aparicio and Lauren Rose joining McGranahan and Trujillo with strong runs at the service stripe.

Smith was a deadly sniper with her spikes, while Mikayla Elfrank and Tiffany Briscoe both made a bid to craft the night’s best play.

Elfrank, a junior making her CHS volleyball debut, displayed serious pop and a nice touch frequently flying in from the outside.

She had a gym-rattling spike winner late in the second set, then topped that right near the end of the match.

Mount Vernon had rallied for three straight points late in the third set, cutting the margin to 23-20 and raising hopes they could steal a set and prolong the match.

Instead, Elfrank, coming in from the left side, unloaded a spectacular cross-court laser that angled through two jumping Hurricane players and kicked off the line on the far right side of the floor.

The ball struck, there was a momentary pause as everyone strained to see if it had caught the line, then the Wolf faithful exploded as the ref signaled that yes, Elfrank was just that good.

Briscoe’s moment came at the end of one of the game’s longer rallies.

After both teams came up with big saves to keep the action hopping, Briscoe pounced on a wayward ball, and, using just her fingertips, redirected it through a maze of MVC defenders, dropping it into the one small gap available for a winner.

Whitmore, who was making his regular-season debut as a varsity coach (Coupeville had a jamboree under its belt), basked in the glow afterwards, as fans and CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith showered him with congratulations.

“Retire now and you go down with the best winning percentage in school history,” Smith joked.

Lodell and Trujillo paced the Wolves with eight service aces apiece, while Aparicio (5), McGranahan (5) and Ashley Menges (4) all chipped in.

Menges dished out a team-high 12 assists, while Rose collected seven.

Coupeville heads to Langley Saturday for the six-team South Whidbey Invite, then hosts Chimacum Sept. 13 in its 1A Olympic League opener.

Read Full Post »

“Could not be more excited about the season!!”

Posted in Volleyball, tagged 1A Olympic League, CHS Wolves, Cory Whitmore, Fall Sports Preview, Valen Trujillo, volleyball on August 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

After working as an assistant at Oak Harbor High School, Cory Whitmore has taken over the Coupeville volleyball program. (John Fisken photos)

The Wolves return almost their entire roster from a season ago, including (l to r) Emma Smith, Lauren Rose and Katrina McGranahan.

Excitement is in the air.

Coming off of its first postseason win in a decade, the Coupeville High School volleyball squad returns virtually its entire roster, welcomes a new head coach whose energy is contagious and will play two-thirds of its matches at home.

After two strong seasons under Breanne Smedley, who moved back home to take over the Columbia River program, the Wolves are led by newcomer Cory Whitmore this season.

A teacher at Oak Harbor High School, he already knew most of Coupeville’s players firsthand from his work coaching alongside Smedley with the Whidbey Fury select program.

Now, as he inherits a team which lost only McKenzie Bailey and Sydney Autio to graduation (and Kyla Briscoe to injury), Whitmore is ready to embrace the opportunity.

“Could not be more excited about the season and this group of young women,” he said. “We would love to see the gym packed during home games – it will be a fun season.”

Coupeville, which split two playoff matches in 2015, beating Seattle Christian at home before being edged on the road by Cascade Christian, opens with a possibly unprecedented five straight matches at home.

Overall, they are set to play 9 of 15 matches on their home floor, and perhaps more if the playoff gods smile on them again.

The Wolves won four of their final six matches last season, finishing 6-10 overall, 3-3 in Olympic League play.

The JV went a crisp 7-4 as well, boding well for the future.

Whitmore will have a strong core to lean on as he makes his debut as a high school head coach.

Seniors Valen Trujillo, Tiffany Briscoe and Ally Roberts are the grizzled leaders for a squad which is still remarkably young.

“We have quite a few of our players returning with varsity experience,” Whitmore said. “Valen will definitely be a player to watch on her defensive intensity, calm passing ability and strong leadership.

“Tiffany is also a senior captain and brings a heavy arm-swing and can hit at either pin,” he added.

Junior Lauren Rose and sophomore Ashley Menges will split time at the setter position (“both have worked hard in the off-season to develop their ability to run the offense and both bring a tough serve”), with a number of other players vying for floor time.

“Katrina McGranahan has been making great progress in her attacking ability and is a large block that will give opponents problems,” Whitmore said. “Payton Aparicio is very solid in her passing ability and has a fast approach and quick arm-swing.

“Emma Smith, Ally, Hope Lodell, Sarah Wright and Allison Wenzel each bring something different to the team,” he added. “We have many players that can play numerous positions and bring their all every day, which allows us to have competitive practices, preparing for game situations.”

One newcomer expected to make an impact is junior Mikayla Elfrank, who transferred from South Whidbey last year.

After anchoring the infield at short for the Wolf softball team in the spring, she’s expected to be a three-sport star this time around, adding volleyball and basketball to her duties.

“Mikayla has the ability to play in the middle as well as on the right side, with a strong jumping ability and a fast arm-swing,” Whitmore said.

While his varsity is comprised of battle-tested veterans, the new coach was pleasantly surprised to see how big the turnout for volleyball was overall.

While some other sports at CHS are reportedly down in numbers this fall, the spikers are almost 30 deep.

“We have a strong incoming freshman class that I am very excited about,” Whitmore said. “They have made progress already as a class and are quickly figuring out the system we run and the increased pace and intensity of high school athletics.”

The new volleyball guru wants to build on what Smedley began, keeping everyone’s eyes firmly on the prize.

“My goal for the season would first and foremost be to develop and lead the team to a league championship,” Whitmore said. “From there we will then look forward to making it to state.

“I am fortunate to coach such a hard-working and dedicated group of student-athletes,” he added. “The expectations are high and we look forward to the lofty goals.”

As the Wolves head towards their opener (Sept. 6 at home vs. Mount Vernon Christian), they’re working on fine-tuning their skill set.

“Right now our team strengths start with strong leadership, which is so essential to the success of a season,” Whitmore said. “We also have a tough serve that has potential to frustrate opponents.

“Defensive intensity, both on the block and the back row digging seem to be a strength of ours as well.”

Consistency is the watchword of the day, however.

“We have put a heavy emphasis on tightening our serve receive and offensive firepower,” Whitmore said. “With a more consistent team passer rating, we will be able to use our offensive weapons in numerous positions.

“It all starts with the pass and our team recognizes that as a point of emphasis.”

Klahowya enters the season as the two-time defending league champs, but Whitmore stresses every match, league or non-league, is vitally important.

One slight change is the number of league matches the Wolves will play.

After back-to-back seasons of six, the number is now nine, pitting Coupeville against Port Townsend, Chimacum and Klahowya three times apiece.

The change, which also affects soccer, puts those sports on par with basketball, softball and baseball.

Regardless of the uniform on the other side of the net, the focus is the same.

“We will have to respect everyone that we come up against,” Whitmore said. “This includes non-league games – each and every opponent we face is a chance to get better.

“Focusing on us and taking care of our side of the net is what we will strive to manage.”

Read Full Post »

There’s a new spike king in town!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged CHS Wolves, Cory Whitmore, new hire, OHHS Wildcats, volleyball on June 11, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Wolf spikers react to the hiring of their new coach. (John Fisken photo)

Cory Whitmore

“Volleyball is organized chaos – the team that organizes or minimizes the chaos the most, wins.”

It’s that unpredictability which drew Cory Whitmore to the sport.

After a high school career in Ritzville where he played football, basketball and track, he veered off to the world of club volleyball while attending Washington State University and has never looked back.

Now, his new sport has carried him through assistant coaching jobs at Colfax and Oak Harbor, before depositing him in Coupeville, where he accepted the head coaching position Friday.

Whitmore, who still needs to gain school board approval, replaces Breanne Smedley, who left after two seasons to accept a job in her hometown with 3A Columbia River.

The duo worked together this year, coaching club ball with the Whidbey Fury, and Smedley speaks highly of her successor.

“I know Cory very well and couldn’t be happier that he is taking over the CHS volleyball program,” she said. “He is enthusiastic, organized, and will not be outworked.

“Corey’s knowledge and the work ethic of the CHS volleyball players makes me confident that program will continue to head in the right direction.”

Whitmore, who teaches 9th grade English and American Literature at Oak Harbor High School, was the Wildcat C-Team coach the past two years and assisted with the varsity squad, which made strong postseason runs.

He also helped develop an off-season jump training program while at OHHS.

“Leaving the Wildcat program was not an easy decision,” Whitmore said. “I have had an incredibly positive experience and will miss being a part of the daily routine with the coaching staff and girls at OHHS.

“I’m glad that I will still be in the area and so can support them in any way I can.”

The ‘Cat varsity missed state by a single match both of his seasons, but it was in-season matches where Oak Harbor fought to the final point which really stand out for Whitmore.

“Highlights from my time with the OHHS volleyball program would include any number of five-set matches in which the 2015 team earned wins,” he said. “During those games the fans and student section created this incredible energy that you could feel.

“The scrappy play and refusal to go down without a fight was impressive to see and made me proud to be a part of.”

Prior to his stint at Oak Harbor, Whitmore was on the staff at Colfax during a remarkable three-year run (two state titles and a second-place finish), while also working as a volunteer assistant at Wazzu.

“It quickly became a calling,” Whitmore said. “Volleyball has this interesting vibe that is unique to all athletics. That challenge draws me to the sport.”

He also likes how the sport rewards strategy almost as much as raw talent.

“Another aspect of volleyball that I enjoy is the fact that height and power are not everything,” Whitmore said. “That a strong mental game and a handle on the basics can trump the tallest of teams.”

When debating whether or not to make the jump from OHHS, his discussions with Smedley helped tip the balance in favor of joining Wolf Nation.

“Bre spoke with so much pride and enthusiasm about what the girls and the volleyball program had accomplished,” Whitmore said. “She talked of the amazing support system through leadership, parents and community members and that is truly something special.”

Coming from a small town himself — the town of Ritzville trailed Coupeville by 170 bodies in the most recent census — having a chance to work in that environment intrigued Whitmore.

“I grew up (K-12) in a small town and my first experience coaching was in a small town,” he said. “I’ve seen and been a part of successful programs that I believe were successful because of the small town culture.

“There’s something unique about the way a small community can rally around the school and athletics programs creating this amazing culture and tradition of success.”

He inherits a Wolf program which went two matches deep into the playoffs last season — its best showing in a decade — and returns all but two players.

While he will tailor his game plan to his player’s strengths, Whitmore already knows where he wants to take Coupeville.

“I have some very specific goals for the program in mind,” he said. “First and foremost, I hope to transition into the program as smoothly as possible – hit the ground running.

“I am excited to take the work that Bre has done for the program and build upon it.”

Whitmore plans to continue Smedley’s work of connecting the high school spikers with their younger counterparts at the elementary and middle school level.

He also wants to put a consistent focus, and expectation, on off-season training.

When it all comes together, there’s no ceiling on how high the Wolves can fly.

“In a few years, I hope to be WIAA State Academic Finalists and make deep runs at the state tournament with some Olympic League championships to the program’s name,” Whitmore said. “Very excited to get working on these goals.”

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts