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Posts Tagged ‘Madison McMillan’

Yakima is calling their names

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on November 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville volleyball aces Jada Heaton (left) and Mia Farris, off to the bright lights of Yakima. (Jennifer Heaton photo)

Next stop, the wilds of Eastern Washington.

The Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad is off to the state tourney for the first time since 2017, with the bus departing Cow Town Tuesday afternoon.

The Wolves open play in the 16-team double-elimination royal rumble Wednesday at 9:45 AM in the SunDome against Lind-Ritzville-Sprague.

Win or lose, CHS is back on the floor later in the day, with hopes of advancing to day #2, which goes down Thursday.

As they departed, the spikers were sent off by fellow students, teachers, administrators, parents, and fans, as you can see in the pics above and below.

Chloe Marzocca is ready for the long trip. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Marzocca)

Ten talented young women, one exquisite dream of kickin’ fanny and takin’ names. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Heaton)

JV spikers (l to r) Capri Anter, Haylee Armstrong, and Lexis Drake root for their varsity counterparts. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

Jada Heaton lets mom snag a forever memory. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Heaton)

Wolf coach Cory Whitmore works the reception line. (Coupeville Schools photo)

“When are we stopping for coffee???” (Photo courtesy Jennifer Marzocca)

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People staring into space, thoughtfully

Posted in Photos, tagged , , , , on November 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

What thoughts may come? (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Sometimes the action slows down, and you’re left with your thoughts.

The collection of photos seen above and below capture moments when Coupeville athletes, coaches, and administrators find themselves marinating in the moment.

Are they thinking about the game in hand, or whether they left the stove on at home?

We’ll likely never know, as they remain enigmas wrapped in mystery.

Desi

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Ace, ace, ninth straight win in your face

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Their future (and present) is so bright, they might need shades. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

They dodged a potential trap.

Coming off arguably the biggest win in program history, and with the playoffs starting next week, Thursday’s varsity volleyball match on Friday Harbor could have been an afterthought for Coupeville.

The host Wolverines entered play at 1-12, playing out the string.

CHS, by contrast, had won eight straight, including handing four-time defending 2B state champ La Conner its first league loss in 12+ years.

The potential for a letdown was there and … yeah, forget about that.

Coupeville came out and took care of business, crushing its hosts 25-9, 25-15, 25-7 in a matter of minutes.

Or at least it felt that way.

So, movin’ right along, with a merry skip to their step.

The victory lifts the Wolves to 6-2 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 10-4 overall, with a nine-match win streak in hand as they prep for a trip to Lacey Monday.

Once there, Coupeville will open the four-team, double-elimination District 1/2 tourney against Northwest Christian.

Two more wins and the Wolves head back to state for the first time since 2017.

To see the district bracket, pop over to:

http://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4102

But, if Coupeville was already looking ahead, the Wolf spikers hid it well Thursday, focusing on being their best savage selves, raining down kills from the heavens and delivering 25 service aces.

Another ace, another celebration.

For CHS coach Cory Whitmore, who has led his team to double-digit wins in all seven seasons they have played a full schedule for him, the night was about fine-tuning stuff.

“We are working on a couple of things and so pushed ourselves on attack specialties,” he said.

“We challenged Madison (McMillan) to really command the first ball, especially on freeballs and she did a great job.

“Katie (Marti) was really strong on the service line, as was Teagan (Calkins). Teagan also played really clean on the attack.”

Now, a brief break, and then it’s off to the postseason.

“We look forward to district ball on Monday after a weekend of rest,” Whitmore said, before heading off to catch a few winks before returning to his day job as a teacher.

 

Thursday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 1 dig
Teagan Calkins — 5 kills, 3 digs, 5 aces
Mia Farris — 10 kills, 2 digs, 1 ace
Jada Heaton — 2 kills
Katie Marti — 5 digs, 21 assists, 7 aces
Madison McMillan — 9 digs, 3 assists, 7 aces
Grey Peabody — 5 kills, 1 block assist
Lyla Stuurmans — 10 kills, 2 digs, 5 aces

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Spikers win big on somber night

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Issabel Johnson delivered three service aces Tuesday to help Coupeville capture a straight-sets win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

High school sports are larger than life, until they’re not.

Tuesday night the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball team rolled to its third-straight win, sweeping visiting Concrete off the floor.

The reaction to the 25-16, 25-14, 25-6 victory quickly became muted, however, as Lion coach Kevik Rensink gathered his players to inform them a classmate died earlier in the day after a car accident.

The young man lived in the same neighborhood as the Concrete coach, and his death comes just months after that school’s superintendent died after crashing into a tree.

Coupeville players and coaches joined their Concrete counterparts to the side of the floor, trying in some small way to ease their pain before the Lions departed for the trip back home.

Wolf team moms traditionally give road snacks to visiting players, and this time was no different, except for being delivered with quiet words of comfort.

Coming on the same night that Coupeville held its annual Dig Pink night to raise funds for those battling breast cancer, the events offer a stark reminder that there are things which matter far more than wins and losses.

“We feel for Kevik and his players, and everyone in Concrete,” said Coupeville coach Cory Whitmore.

“This is going to be a hard time for all involved, and we wanted to make sure they had what they needed before getting home safely.”

CHS coach Cory Whitmore lays out some strategy for his players. (Jackie Saia photo)

The match itself was a fast-moving one, as Coupeville dominated play from start to finish.

The Wolves never trailed, jumping out to 5-0, 2-0, and 8-0 leads across the three sets, with just one tie at 2-2 (very) early in the middle frame.

Coupeville’s spikers, while not playing flawlessly — perhaps distracted a bit by Homecoming week activities — were still able to flip the switch every time they needed to do so.

The Wolves peppered Concrete with precision serves, racking up 14 aces and keeping the Lions from mounting much of a resistance off of their returns.

Once the ball was in play, big hitters Lyla Stuurmans, Grey Peabody, Teagan Calkins, and Mia Farris took turns cranking winners out of the reach of their rivals.

Stuurmans, showing some serious hops, bounded across the court, slicing in from both sides to smash the air out of the ball, while Peabody was a particular force on defense, snuffing out many of Concrete’s best shots.

While everyone lurking around the net contributed, none was happier to do so than Jada Heaton.

The team spark plug delivered back-to-back kills in the second set, then came back around to crunch some more balls in the final frame, a giddy smile on her face as she continues to live her best life.

“I am Jada! Hear me roar!” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Now 2-2 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 4-4 overall after earning Cory Whitmore his 80th win as head coach at CHS, the Wolves return to action Thursday when they welcome Mount Vernon Christian to Whidbey.

JV tips at 5:00 PM, varsity at 6:30.

 

Tuesday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 3 digs
Teagan Calkins — 5 kills, 1 ace
Mia Farris — 6 kills, 7 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace
Jada Heaton — 4 kills, 1 assist
Issabel Johnson — 3 aces
Katie Marti — 4 kills, 2 digs, 24 assists, 5 aces, 1 block assist
Madison McMillan — 8 digs, 2 assists, 1 ace
Grey Peabody — 5 kills, 1 assist, 1 block assist
Lyla Stuurmans — 10 kills, 5 digs, 3 aces, 1 solo block

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Our gym, our spikes, our win

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Madison McMillan stretches out to track down an incoming missile. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

This time they sealed the deal.

Striking with a great vengeance and not letting a talented team have too many opportunities to rally, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad delivered a win that some might call an upset.

That’s because Forks rolled into Cow Town Saturday sporting a fine ‘n dandy 6-2 record, while the Wolves have endured a series of near misses.

But on this sunny afternoon, the gym belonged to Coupeville, which recorded a 25-15, 25-17, 25-18 non-conference victory.

The win, the second-straight for the Wolves, pushes them to 3-4 and shows they can punch with the best of them if they stay focused.

Coupeville made its intentions known early, with superb sophomore Teagan Calkins kicking off her best performance of the season by launching a dagger which tore a chunk out of the floor.

That staked CHS to an early 3-2 lead in the first set, and while things stayed tight for a bit, the Wolves were already humming.

Down just 13-11, Coupeville made its move, riding another lightning bolt fired by the free-wheeling Calkins.

With the ball back in their hands, the Wolves sent Lyla Stuurmans to the service stripe, and she hurt some folks.

The joltin’ junior ripped off nine straight points on her serve to blow the set open, with a number of her teammates helping out.

Mia Farris rearranged the molecules around her rivals with a blast of hot air coming off a spike winner, while Katie Marti flipped the ball into a two-inch open space for another point.

Calkins continued to be a thorn in the side of the visiting Spartans, lashing frozen ropes which hit the back line, then kicked away, and CHS was rollin’ ‘n strollin’.

Katie Marti, doin’ what she does. (Photo courtesy Coupeville volleyball)

Coming out of the first set, the Wolves kept peppering Forks with nasty serves, with Marti, Madison McMillan, Calkins, and Issabel Johnson living large at the line.

The Spartans, led by Ron Bagby’s niece, Chloe Gaydeski, put up a good scrap, but Coupeville continually dropped the hammer to end points.

When Calkins wasn’t strafing everyone in her eye range, Grey Peabody and Jada Heaton proved to be nimble and deadly at the net, whether crunching balls or poking tip winners.

If there was a bit of suspense left in the air after set two, it was because Coupeville has had some trouble closing matches out this season.

Potential wins against South Whidbey, Orcas Island, and La Conner slipped away in the final frantic moments, and it’s not hard to picture the Wolves being 6-1 and not 3-4.

Saturday, CHS coach Cory Whitmore didn’t have to worry about heading into his free time with too many worries, however, as his squad slammed the proverbial door shut.

It began with Stuurmans cranking back-to-back winners, a feat repeated not too long after by Farris.

Forks was still hanging around in the third set, though trailing 16-14, when McMillan put an exclamation point on things.

Spinning the ball across her fingertips, then artfully dropping nearly unhittable serves, she ran off eight consecutive points on her serve, with Calkins and Farris dropping haymakers when Forks managed to get the return back in play.

The victory, which sends Coupeville into a week where it will host Northwest 2B/1B League rivals Concrete and Mount Vernon Christian, left the Wolf head coach mostly satisfied.

“We kept within our system and served really well and passed the ball consistently,” Cory Whitmore said.

“Teagan had herself a night, and Mia played really well,” he added.

“I’m very pleased with our consistency as a team today.”

Wolves (l to r) Taylor Brotemarkle, Issabel Johnson, and Mia Farris enjoy the taste of victory … and concession stand food. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

 

Saturday stats:

Teagan Calkins — 8 kills, 1 dig
Mia Farris — 8 kills, 5 digs
Jada Heaton — 2 kills, 1 dig, 1 solo block
Issabel Johnson — 1 dig, 2 aces
Katie Marti — 1 kill, 6 digs, 21 assists, 3 aces
Madison McMillan — 9 digs, 1 assist, 3 aces
Grey Peabody — 3 kills, 1 solo block
Lyla Stuurmans — 6 kills, 4 digs, 1 assist, 3 aces

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