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Posts Tagged ‘Maddie Georges’

Wolf spikers dazzle Darrington

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Ryanne Knoblich flies in for a winner. (Jackie Saia photo)

It was a milestone night.

Coming off of a “really good practice,” the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad jelled and dominated Thursday, crushing visiting Darrington in straight sets.

The 25-7, 25-17, 25-17 victory lifts the Wolves to 7-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 9-4 overall, and hands coach Cory Whitmore his 75th win at the helm of the CHS program.

It also sets up a winner-take-all match for the regular season finale, which hits Tuesday, Oct. 25.

Coupeville hosts three-time defending state champ La Conner (7-0, 11-1), with the winner clinching the league title and the #1 seed from District 1 heading to the postseason.

The District 1/2 tourney goes down Nov. 2 in La Conner, with the NWL runner-up playing Auburn Adventist Academy in a loser-out match.

The victor in the opening rumble then plays the NWL champ in a loser-out, winner-to-state tilt.

Thursday’s match against Darrington, which fell on Wolf senior middle blocker Jill Prince’s birthday, allowed the CHS varsity spikers to cap a third-straight season in which they have never lost to a NWL team other than La Conner.

The Wolves were locked and loaded from the first point of the night, kicked off by a wicked Maddie Georges serve, and finished by a breathtaking slicer off the fingertips of a cartwheeling Lyla Stuurmans.

Georges staked Coupeville to a 6-0 lead, with Madison McMillan and Alita Blouin also peeling off strong runs at the service line in the opening frame.

Alita Blouin fires off a rocket. (Jackie Saia photo)

When Darrington did get the ball back in the air, the Wolf heavy hitters made short work of things, spraying kills and watching the Loggers run for safety.

Ryanne Knoblich, who finished with a team-high nine kills, was especially effective in the early stages, her blasts tearing holes in the hardwood.

The Loggers had pluck, however, and fought back to make their best stand in the second set.

Darrington led for much of that frame, dodging kills from Prince and Mia Farris to carry a 16-9 lead into a timeout.

That was where things changed, and changed big-time, with Coupeville closing the set on a 16-1 tear.

Georges was a spark, putting together a nine-point run on her serve while also flicking passes left, right, and every direction from her post as setter.

A ball went to Knoblich, who came flying in from the side to crunch things.

Then it was time for Farris to get dramatic, or Prince to paste the crud out of the ball, or McMillan to get medieval, or Stuurmans to launch lasers.

Pick your poison, and accept you’re about to die (metaphorically, at least) — that was the only option the Loggers had when the Wolves were in sync.

“They executed really, really well on defense,” Whitmore said. “I’m really proud of how, when we were down, we stuck to our game plan and didn’t look rattled.

“We were very disciplined on defense, and our communication never took a dip.”

Darrington remained ever plucky, and the third set was knotted at 10-10 before Coupeville decided to emphatically end things.

Georges, wrapping up a strong all-around evening of work in her next-to-last home match, fired off five straight points on her serve to push the Wolves ahead at 15-10, and the Loggers ability to resist finally faded for good.

There was still time for some “plays of the day” however, with Stuurmans tiptoeing down the sideline to flick a winner, and McMillan launching missiles from the other side of the floor.

Appropriately, the birthday girl got to put a cap on things, as Prince launched back-to-back kills right down the middle of the floor.

 

Thursday stats:

Alita Blouin — 10 digs, 2 aces
Mia Farris — 4 kills, 2 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace, 2 block assists
Maddie Georges — 4 digs, 23 assists, 11 aces
Taygin Jump — 4 digs
Ryanne Knoblich — 9 kills, 7 digs, 3 aces
Madison McMillan — 5 kills, 14 digs, 1 ace
Jill Prince — 3 kills, 1 block assist
Lyla Stuurmans — 4 kills, 1 ace, 3 block assists

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Resilient Wolves rally past Neah Bay

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Madison McMillan (14) is on a roll. (Jackie Saia photo)

They have some major fight in them.

Missing the team’s top kill specialist, and playing a red-hot rival, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball spikers rallied to pull out a four-set thriller Saturday.

Digging deep against a Neah Bay squad which entered play on a nine-match winning streak, the Wolves defended their home court, winning 23-25, 25-10, 25-22, 25-13.

The non-conference victory, coming in a match which was just recently added to the schedule, lifts CHS to 8-3 on the season.

Now winners of seven of their last eight, the Wolves have three regular season rumbles left.

Coupeville travels to La Conner Oct. 18 to face off with the three-time defending 2B state champs.

After that comes home tilts against Darrington Oct. 20 and La Conner Oct. 25, before a trip to the district playoffs.

Saturday’s showdown with Neah Bay replaced another home match lost to the scheduling shuffle and offered the Wolves a chance to face a top-notch, tough team.

The opening set showcased the visitors at their best, as the Red Devils made the Wolves scramble for every ball.

There were six ties in the first frame, the final at 23-23 after Coupeville rallied back from down 23-19.

Super sophomore Madison McMillan was key, crunching a laser from the side to collect Coupeville’s 20th point, before popping off three straight points on her serve.

Ryanne Knoblich knotted things at 23-23 with a superb kill, her body going one way and the ball the other, but Neah Bay proved resilient.

A gym-rattling spike from one of the Red Devil’s biggest hitters pushed her team back in front 24-23, and a Coupeville error on set point doomed the host squad.

That capped a first set which had more than its fair share of highlight reel-worthy plays, from Mia Farris spraying kills to Jill Prince getting artful with her tip game, freeze-framing her foes, then flicking the ball to paydirt.

Mia Farris is here to destroy you. (Jackie Saia photo)

Lyla Stuurmans, who was a wrecking ball unleashed at times, came up big at the service stripe, while numerous Wolves made often-stunning saves on balls which looked long gone.

Knoblich had a beautiful one-hander, while Alita Blouin, Taygin Jump, and Maddie Georges bounced off the floor and slid across the hardwood in pursuit of excellence.

If the first set was a nail-biter, the second frame was a blowout.

The Wolves bounded off the bench, seized control of things, and never relented, mixing in big service aces, inspired passing, and teeth-rattling kills to put Neah Bay down hard.

“It was good to see us shake off any hesitation and come out strong,” said Coupeville coach Cory Whitmore.

“Our defense was outstanding on the block, and our service game picked up,” he added. “Even when we weren’t getting aces, our serve set us up to win some easy points.”

Everyone on the floor was clicking, Stuurmans and Knoblich bringing the full fury at the net, while Georges popped from here to there, flicking passes high as she picked up some of her match-high 32 assists.

Set three opened with the afternoon’s best play, even if it ultimately didn’t count.

With the ball in the air on the opening serve, a Wolf player lost a shoe while scrambling, and McMillan promptly cleared the floor by sliding forward and kicking the wayward sneaker into the stands.

While Coupeville won the rally, and Farris snuck by to retrieve her missing footwear, the refs decided to replay the point, drawing a mix of (mild) boos and laughter.

With all of their shoelaces firmly tied, the Wolves led the set from start to finish, though Neah Bay never let the margin get too big.

The Red Devils actually held off two set points, cutting a 24-20 deficit to 24-22 before Blouin ended things, flipping a winner from mid-court which arced over the defense before slapping down, catching the backline as it landed.

While Neah Bay was talented and tough, it came out flat in the fourth set and the Wolves pounced, rolling out to an 18-6 lead in what would turn out to be the final frame.

Prince, Stuurmans, and Knoblich continued to light up the floor as a titanic trio, their kills getting more ferocious as the Red Devils begin to wilt.

Choose your poison. Jill Prince can beat you with a powerhouse kill, or an artful tip. (Jackie Saia photo)

Neah Bay had one last mini-rally to unleash, but even then, the Wolves methodically chipped away, climbing steadily towards their 98th and final point of the match.

It came from Prince, who hopped airborne, surveyed her surroundings, then, at the last possible second, angled a tip away from the Red Devils before returning to the surly bonds of Earth.

Ball hit court, and the celebration was ignited.

If you’re going to play on a Saturday, might as well win while you’re at it.

 

Saturday stats:

Alita Blouin — 10 digs, 2 assists, 2 aces
Mia Farris — 3 kills, 2 digs, 3 aces
Maddie Georges — 18 digs, 32 assists, 2 aces, 1 solo block, 1 block assist
Taygin Jump — 5 digs
Ryanne Knoblich — 11 kills, 12 digs, 1 ace
Madison McMillan — 5 kills, 20 digs, 2 aces
Jill Prince — 7 kills, 1 block assist
Lyla Stuurmans — 7 kills, 1 dig, 3 aces

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Thunder rolls, spikes fly

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Katie Marti has been a sparkplug off the bench for the Wolf varsity. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The positive numbers keep piling up.

Eight matches into the season, Coupeville High School varsity volleyball players continue to fill up the stat sheet, making stories like this possible.

Seniors Alita Blouin (digs) and Maddie Georges (assists, service aces) and junior Grey Peabody (kills) top categories, while there are three-way ties for solo blocks and block assists.

Of course, with five regular season matches left to play, plus a likely trip to the playoffs, all of that can change in the days ahead.

As we hit Oct. 7, where the varsity spikers stand:

 

Player Kills Digs Block-Solo Block-Assist Assists Aces
Maddie Georges 8 61 180 46
Alita Blouin 2 124 11 11
Lyla Stuurmans 35 39 2 2 12
Ryanne Knoblich 56 57 2 1 1 17
Mia Farris 55 7 3 1 5
Jill Prince 44 3 2 3
Grey Peabody 71 7 1 3
Madison McMillan 4 24 1 14
Taygin Jump 2 25 2 4
Katie Marti 1 6 6
Issabel Johnson
Jada Heaton 1 2

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Scrappy Wolves bounce back for road win

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on September 21, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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)

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Spikers chase big-time success

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on August 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Senior setter Maddie Georges is key to keeping the Wolf offense flowing. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

They’re Scottie Pippen, but they want to be Michael Jordan.

In the two seasons since Coupeville High School returned to 2B, the Wolf volleyball squad has been flawless in league play, with one caveat.

CHS is 16-0 against every Northwest 2B/1B League rival not named La Conner.

But the Braves, who have won three-straight 2B state titles, and six in the program’s history, are 5-0 against Coupeville in that time frame.

Which just means the chase is on.

“Of course, we will need to practice being prepared for every matchup that we will face this season,” CHS coach Cory Whitmore said.

“We know that La Conner will return a few players from their state championship team this past fall,” he added. “We always expect them to be good, so we will have to work on how to be better.”

Coupeville, which has six consecutive winning seasons with Whitmore at the helm, has plenty of firepower at its disposal.

Those players, a mix of grizzled vets and promising youngsters, is built for success now, and in the future.

“We had a very productive off-season,” Whitmore said. “I’m really looking forward to what we have prepared so far and the puzzle pieces we have in order to figure out our new identity along the way.”

A five-pack of seniors leads the way for the Wolves, with libero Alita Blouin, setter Maddie Georges, and middle blocker Jill Prince each boasting two years of varsity experience.

“They each bring a lot to their positional role,” Whitmore said. “The rest of the team will rely on that experience and look to them for guidance.”

Jill Prince, getting low here, is a force at the net for Coupeville.

Prince led CHS with 93 kills and nine block assists as a junior, while Blouin (207 digs) and Georges (225 assists and 48 service aces) also topped the stat sheet.

Joining the trio at the forefront of the roster are fellow seniors Taygin Jump and Ryanne Knoblich.

“Taygin will help bolster the backrow pass and dig game,” Whitmore said.

“Ryanne has about reinvented herself now as a six-rotation player – last season she played in a defensive specialist role, but we are so proud of the work she put in this offseason to make herself a terminal attacker on the pin.”

Other Wolves expected to have an impact on the varsity squad include junior Grey Peabody and sophomores Lyla Stuurmans, Madison McMillan, Katie Marti, and Mia Farris.

“I am so proud of the work Grey has put in during the offseason to be ready,” Whitmore said. “She will fill a vacant middle blocker position really well and become a fast attacker.

“Lyla really increased her serve receive range and is starting to scratch the surface of her attacking potential.”

Lyla Stuurmans is one of several young Wolves with a bright future.

McMillan and Marti both made their varsity debuts as freshmen, with Marti racking up 86 assists as a fill-in starter for ill or injured teammates.

Farris, riding the momentum of a very-strong freshman season on the softball diamond, “has really come on during the offseason, focusing on detailed technical fixes.

“Mia had a great camp,” Whitmore said. “I’m excited to see her continue that momentum in a number of potential roles.”

However the roster breaks down, the Wolves will be focused on two things — emphasizing their attacking efficiency and increasing the amount of block-touches.

“We need to generate points on offense and slow the ball down on defense for our backrow to collect a maximum amount of digs possible,” Whitmore said.

“This particular group is quite receptive to the detailed changes that we need to improve on our goals, and so I’m excited to see how far we can take them.”

Being able to blunt the power offered up by La Conner and other elite teams will be key to Coupeville’s own success.

“We have already started to address that we will have to improve our attacking efficiency if we want to beat the best teams in the league, district and state,” Whitmore said. “It will be a huge area of focus for us moving forward, and with some many factors that contribute to that growth.

“While it is unlikely for us to generate a wild amount of stuff blocks, we have been talking about making sure to get touches on the opponents’ attacks more often to slow down the speed at which their offense comes at us.”

Big kills and dynamic serves are always appreciated, but Whitmore points to his team’s bond as a tight-knit group as being just as important.

“Our team strengths will definitely come from this group’s productive and positive communication,” he said. “It has been a big area of conversation through the offseason, and they have had a taste of just how it can propel us when it is our focus.

“Another strength would be this group’s connectedness.

Similar to communication, I think that fans will be able to see a genuine trust they have for each other and how they have been excited for each other’s successes, thus in turn increasing those team successes.”

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