Bandaged hand or not, Lauren Grove never backs down. (John Fisken photos)
Claire Mietus goes all in during an earlier match.
Bear Grylls would love Lauren Grove.
Just like the “Man vs. Wild” star, the Coupeville High School sophomore is a gritty survivalist who never shies from a challenge.
Despite battling an injured thumb that she aggravated again early in Tuesday night’s match at Klahowya, Grove stayed on the floor and rallied her Wolf JV squad time and again against the more experienced Eagles.
With several varsity players dotting their roster, to cover for ineligible JV players, the hosts eventually squeaked out a 25-20, 25-13, 25-11 win.
But it wasn’t because Grove took any plays off.
“I wrapped it (the thumb) more than normal, but she still struggled through the night,” said CHS coach Amy King. “She, of course, still moved well and talked on the floor and bench the entire night, still proving to be a leader for the team.”
Both teams started the match slowly, with trouble behind the service stripe haunting Coupeville early.
Down 22-9, the Wolves could have let the last few points slip away and moved on to the second set, but, instead, got chippy, charging back and almost claiming victory.
Katrina McGranahan started the comeback by spraying aces to every part of the court, before Maggie Crimmins continued the resurgence at the service stripe, using her “close to the net bullet shot” serves to pepper Klahowya.
With the dandy duo keeping the Eagles jumpy, Kameryn St Onge claimed the net as her own.
Jumping out of her shoes, the Wolf freshman laid down a string of precision tips and blistering kills as Coupeville capped a 10-1 rally, pulling within 23-19.
Things stalled out a bit after that, however, and Klahowya began to take advantage of its height — especially the height that came in the form of varsity players.
“We found ourselves across from a pretty tall front row player who worked with their setter to hit short set after short set after short set, which we just couldn’t defend even 90% of the time,” King said.
Still, the hustle and grit of her players impressed the Wolf coach.
“Along with our starting group, we also got solid playing from Kenzie (Valko), Kayla Rose, Abby (Parker), Claire (Mietus), Maggie, Sophia (Hassapis),” King said. “I love watching the way these girls have improved since that first week of the season, performing skills that they did not have back then.”
McGranahan paced the Woves, hitting on nine serves with two aces, while Payton Aparicio (8/1) and Crimmins (6/2) were also effective.
St Onge delivered a team-high four kills, McGranahan filled the stat sheet up (nine hits, two kills and a block) and Hope Lodell popped up everywhere, chipping in with two hits and three kills.
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