Eryn Wood, seen here in an earlier match, had several strong serves Monday while facing off with Forks. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Angelina Gebhard is a threat at the service line or at the net.
Jordyn Rogers and the Wolf 7th graders are a team on the rise.
One win, and a lot of fight.
Facing off with feisty Forks at home Monday, the Coupeville Middle School volleyball squads came close, but only netted one victory in four matches — and that was an unofficial “win.”
8th grade varsity:
A titanic battle and the closest match of the afternoon.
Other than a poor end to the opening set, Coupeville waged war with Forks point for point, losing by the narrowest of margins at 25-16, 21-25, 25-23.
The hero was the young woman with the loudest fan club, one Abby Mulholland.
Her serves provided 13 of Coupeville’s 48 points over the course of the final two sets, including a run of nine straight winners which completely turned the match around in the middle set.
Mulholland’s first run at the service stripe came midway through the second set, with CMS trailing 10-7 and down a set.
As her fan club, led by a boisterous Moose Moran and Lyle Wells, hooted and hollered, she dropped an ace in front of a diving Forks player on her first serve, and the spark was lit.
Mulholland continued to pepper the Spartans, with two more aces and several balls returned straight backwards, then she got some help from Audrianna Shaw.
Stalking the net, she twice found the perfect tip, dropping balls between defenders for crucial points.
The first came on a ball where Shaw reached back over her head, while the second was a classic elevate and put the ball away moment.
The duo were back at it when it came time to close out the set in favor of Coupeville.
Angelina Gebhard whacked a winner off a Forks player’s arm to push CMS ahead 22-21, then Mulholland returned to the service stripe.
Firing off three more winners to seal the deal, she got an assist from Shaw, who nailed a nice bump for a winner on the set-clincher.
The third and deciding set was a war of attrition, with the teams trading the lead down the stretch.
At one point, Jaelynn Crebbin made a sweet save on a ball which looked like a sure-thing Forks winner, diving and popping the ball up into the air where Mulholland dropped the hammer with a skillful poke.
Coupeville was up by as many as three points, then down by four, before putting together a rally started by Kylie Van Velkinburgh dropping a winner into a microscopic gap.
The two squads were tied seven times in the final set, including as late as 23-23.
It wasn’t to be, though, as errors at the very end tripped up CMS — a tip which caught net and refused to get up and over and miscommunication between teammates which let the final ball drop in.
The opening set, which featured strong serving from Izzy Wells, was very similar to the final set.
There were seven ties, but then at 16-16, things fell apart for Coupeville as a very-effective Forks server went on a nine-point tear to close things out.
8th grade JV:
OK, while I was in the gym for both 8th grade matches, I quickly lost track of things during this one while busy interacting with the future of Wolf sports, irrepressible two-year-old Maysen Van Velkinburgh.
Turns out what I missed was CMS winning the first set 27-25, then getting a forfeit in the second set while trailing 13-7. Forks had to flee to the ferry, handing the Wolves the victory.
What I did see was some strong serving from Ella Colwell, Chloe LaRue and Morgan Stevens and big hustle from Lita Woolett, Anya Leavell and Samantha Streitler.
Other than that … next match I will be more alert.
Unless Maysen is doing back handsprings or wants to spend more time nibbling on my notebook. Then I can’t promise anything.
7th grade varsity:
Coupeville captured the first set 25-20, then fell 25-12 and 25-18 in the next two.
The Wolves opened strongly at the service stripe — Harlee Ausman was 9-of-10 and Kaielle Bepler 4-of-4 in the opening set — but tailed off quickly after that.
“Our serving in the second two sets wasn’t so good,” said CMS coach Sarah Lyngra. “Receiving was also an area which needs work, but we were able to get eight three-hits a side during the last set.
“We are recording the times we get three hits a side as something to work toward improving over the course of the season.”
7th grade JV:
Beaten at the service stripe, the Wolves absorbed a 25-11, 25-17, 25-15 loss.
“It was a server’s battle and our serves weren’t making the grade,” Lyngra said.
Coupeville, which hit on 69% of its serves in its last match, skidded to just 21% Monday, and that was a killer.
Lyngra offered praise to Maya Lucero, who was a perfect 4-for-4 on serve in the first set, and Brynn Schmid, who delivered some “nice passing.”
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