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Posts Tagged ‘Mount Vernon Christian’

Sizzlin’ serves, valiant victory

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Grey Peabody dominated at the net Thursday, sparking Coupeville to a key league win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They’re on a tear.

Since coming dangerously close to ending four-time defending 2B state champ La Conner’s 12+ year conference winning streak in a five-set thriller, the Coupeville High School varsity spikers have rocked their foes.

The Wolves have won four straight, with win #4 coming at home Thursday against Mount Vernon Christian.

Coming from behind to nail down a 19-25, 25-13, 25-18, 25-15 victory, CHS improves to 3-2 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 5-4 overall.

Up next for the Wolves are back-to-back non-conference matches, with Providence Classical Christian (10-5) coming to Whidbey Monday, Oct. 16.

The next night, Coupeville enjoys a bus trip to Seattle to square off with The Bush School, which sits at 5-6.

Thursday’s win capped a week in which the Wolves won two of two in their own gym while dealing with all the side events associated with Homecoming.

“Really good team win tonight and super proud of the girls for their maturity as they fought through each set,” said Coupeville coach Cory Whitmore.

“MVC is much improved from previous seasons, and we knew we’d need to show up.”

The Hurricanes, who, like Coupeville, upended La Conner during the South Whidbey Invite, came out strongly, but the Wolves responded in kind.

“We played well even in dropping the first set, but MVC played very tenacious and very clean out of the gates,” Whitmore said.

“That’s the maturity and resiliency I’m proud of with the win tonight – they continued to trust and stick to our systems and just elevate it within the game plan, and it really panned out.”

Stellar play at the service stripe was key to the win.

Issabel Johnson cracks off a fearsome serve. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“We HAD to serve tough tonight and that was where we came up big with all six servers,” Whitmore said.

“Our best set was the second, where we only committed two errors the entire set which is difficult to pull off while remaining aggressive.”

Across the board, the Wolves brought ferocious play to the floor.

“Madison (McMillan) covered so much of the court and just pinpointed her serving locations tonight,” Whitmore said.

“Katie (Marti) did a great job of distributing the ball. She made really smart choices and delivered the ball to her hitters, keeping them in rhythm.”

In particular, the fiery setter was on the same wavelength with senior slugger Grey Peabody.

“Katie and Grey really connected, but Grey was so smart tonight with her ball placement and aggressiveness on the overpasses,” Whitmore said.

“She also had to adjust her block and made it happen on the fly.”

While Peabody slammed home 12 kills, junior Mia Farris was hot on her heels, peppering the Hurricanes with 11 winners of her own.

“Mia had the offensive game she (and everyone) knew she could,” Whitmore said. “She’s been working so hard on her attack approach, and it popped tonight.

“She was zeroed in on the service line, and had such an air of confidence, there were moments that she truly took over the set.”

As Coupeville heads into Friday’s Homecoming parade and football game, and Saturday’s dance, the spikers are flying high, as they should be.

The Wolves celebrate another win. (Jackie Saia photo)

“They had to maintain a high level of energy and focus for a significant amount of time, and so I’m very proud of the way they pulled together to make it happen,” Whitmore said.

“Fun to get a Homecoming win.”

 

Thursday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 2 digs
Teagan Calkins — 4 kills, 1 dig, 2 aces, 1 solo block, 2 block assists
Mia Farris — 11 kills, 8 digs, 6 aces, 1 solo block
Jada Heaton — 1 dig
Issabel Johnson — 1 ace
Katie Marti — 2 kills, 5 digs, 27 assists, 8 aces
Madison McMillan — 17 digs, 2 assists, 3 aces
Grey Peabody — 12 kills, 3 solo blocks, 2 block assists
Lyla Stuurmans — 7 kills, 3 digs, 1 ace, 2 solo blocks

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‘Canes nip frisky Wolves

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on October 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Cole White is an assassin with a soccer ball. (Jackie Saia photo)

It was the nailbiter everyone expected.

Playing on the road for only the second time in seven games this season, the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad fell 3-2 Tuesday in a heartbreaker at Mount Vernon Christian.

The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for the Wolves, ranked #7 in the state, and leaves them at 1-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 4-2 overall.

MVC, which began the day ranked #4 in RPI, is 1-1 in league, 7-2-1 overall.

Friday Harbor and Orcas Island, which played for the state title last season, currently sit atop the NWL standings at 2-0.

Tuesday’s tilt in Mount Vernon pitted two strong teams against each other, with the Hurricanes able to barely pull out the victory.

“Boy, I wanted that one,” said Coupeville coach Robert Wood. “Very emotional game, which of course means physical.”

The Wolves first score came courtesy an own goal, as MVC defenders got confused on who was supposed to pick up the ball and accidentally knocked the orb past their own goaltender.

CHS senior Cole White added his own goal, knocking a free kick into the back of the net for his team-leading sixth score of the season.

It was the 10th goal of his stellar prep career, making him just the 12th Coupeville boy to crack double digits scoring.

The Wolves get a prime chance to bounce right back, hosting Grace Academy Oct. 6 under Friday Night Lights.

Kickoff is 6:00 PM, admission is free, and the visiting Eagles will arrive on Whidbey carrying a 1-5 record.

With the girls’ program shut down for a season, Coupeville’s female booters are joining their male counterparts on the pitch. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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Booters battle in the rain

Posted in soccer, tagged , , , , , on September 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Matthew Ward fights for a ball in an earlier game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The final score was deceptive.

While the record books will state that Mount Vernon Christian’s JV boys’ soccer squad beat Coupeville 3-0 Monday at Mickey Clark Field, it was a one-goal affair for 79 of the game’s 80 minutes.

With both teams drenched by sheets of rain in the late going, the Hurricanes slipped two goals into the net in the final 60+ seconds to set a margin which doesn’t properly reflect the closeness of the tilt.

Coupeville’s JV, which is a mix of male and female players, sits at 0-2 on the season.

The Wolves matched MVC blow for blow through the game’s first 30 minutes, which was played with a little wind and some occasional raindrops.

CHS goalkeeper Josh Lujan was on point in net, rejecting several Hurricane shots, while his teammates narrowly missed on their own scoring opportunities.

Angel Partida and Ava Mitten each had runs at the net, with the former pushing his shot just wide left, while the latter narrowly missed on a ball which drifted right.

Mount Vernon finally broke the scoreless stalemate in the game’s 31st minute, bashing in a long ball which caught a gust of wind and sailed high into the corner of the net.

That gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 advantage, and the game would remain that way for another 48 moments.

Lujan fended off several MVC opportunities, running far out from the net and sliding to snatch the ball up right before a Hurricane player hurdled him at one point.

The Wolf sophomore also punched a ball away, using both fists to deflect the incoming ball.

Coupeville’s defense, anchored by Hurlee Bronec, Mason Butler, and Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim, gave Lujan some big help, though their team’s offensive chances largely dried up as the day got wetter.

By the end, the sprinkles had turned into sheets of rain coming down hard enough to make noise heard up in the press box.

In between the far-off thuds, a nicely dry CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith was happily reminiscing about the three times he was ejected from games during his coaching days.

The game’s final two goals, which came late in stoppage time, were almost afterthoughts, punctuation on a game which would be best remembered as a tightly fought 1-0 affair.

Coupeville’s varsity soccer team returns to action this Friday, Sept. 29, when it hosts Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood in a 6:00 PM game.

The Wolf JV gets a rematch with MVC in mid-October, one of four rumbles left on its tentative schedule.

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Hurricanes fizzle, Wolves howl

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on September 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Lyla Stuurmans, destroyer of universes. (Jackie Saia photos)

Off the schneid, with a vengeance.

After opening the season with a pair of ultra-competitive losses against strong foes, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad thrashed previously unbeaten Mount Vernon Christian Tuesday night.

Drilling the host Hurricanes 25-22, 25-15, 25-17 in a non-conference match against a league rival, the Wolves get to 1-2 and make a serious statement.

MVC entered the night at 2-0, having won all six sets it had played against Friday Harbor and Lake Quinault.

Enter Coupeville, coming off a heartbreaking five-set defeat to next-door neighbor South Whidbey and a tense tussle with juggernaut Neah Bay.

On the road for the first time this season, and with a few more practices under their belts, the Wolves hit the floor in a groove, and never let up, shushing the pro-Hurricane crowd in a hurry.

“Really fun game to be a part of and guide this team through,” said CHS coach Cory Whitmore.

“MVC is much improved from some previous seasons and so we really had to earn our points, and it was done in a very connected and energetic way.”

Coupeville heavy hitters (l to r) Madison McMillan, Issabel Johnson, and Jada Heaton launch a celebration.

Coupeville got contributions from across the board, with junior setter Katie Marti unleashing perhaps the best match of her varsity career.

“Katie was especially phenomenal tonight,” Whitmore said. “She made really strong decisions; whether she was in-system or pulled off the net a bit, she found and led hitters to success.

“She served tough and consistent, and collected a large number of digs.”

Whitmore cautions that the stat sheet — seen below — is a bit of a work in progress, with several young players learning the complex, often frantic job of keeping stats while under fire.

Even if the numbers aren’t flawless, however, they showcase multiple Wolves shining brightly.

Whether it was Lyla Stuurmans with a double-double (14 kills and 10 digs), or birthday girl Madison McMillan ably filling whatever role she is handed, things were clicking.

“Lyla looked really at-ease out there, in addition to some really smart attacking decisions,” Whitmore said.

“Madison did a great job as our libero, and commanded the space around her – she played with energy but also looked very settled in.”

Teagan Calkins channels The Karate Kid.

Praise flowed from the Wolf spiker guru to every girl in uniform, with sophomore supernova Teagan Calkins continuing to earn playing time with her hustle and skill.

“Teagan also received a lot of attacking attempts and took care of the ball,” Whitmore said. “I was impressed that she seemed to get better as the night went on.

“Honestly, I could give them all shoutouts because every player on the team really gave a lot to this win.”

After two tough losses, Tuesday’s victory was a two-for-one deal, counting both in the win/loss column and in helping the psyche of the Wolf players.

“It wasn’t just the win, it was the fashion in which they took control of the space and management of the game,” Whitmore said.

“Very excited for them and what this could mean for moving forward.”

 

Match added:

Earlier in the day, Coupeville got a bonus, as CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith locked in another non-conference match to help fill out the schedule.

The Wolves will host Providence Classical Christian Oct. 16, with both varsity and JV playing that night.

Tipoff is 5:00 PM for the young guns, with the headliners set to take the floor at 6:30.

 

Tuesday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 3 digs, 2 assists
Teagan Calkins — 6 kills, 3 aces
Mia Farris — 6 kills, 10 digs, 2 aces
Jada Heaton — 1 kill
Katie Marti — 2 kills, 3 digs, 21 assists, 4 aces
Madison McMillan — 1 kill, 10 digs, 4 assists, 3 aces
Grey Peabody — 5 kills
Lyla Stuurmans — 14 kills, 10 digs, 1 assist, 2 aces

Coming to torch a gym near you.

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“They can see the progress being made”

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on September 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Lexis Drake launches a laser. (Jackie Saia photos)

They’re building for the future, one point at a time.

Coupeville High School JV volleyball coach Ashley Menges has a core of five freshmen on her roster, and the work ethic displayed by those newcomers is the foundation of everything being built.

So, while there will likely be some bumps along the way, such as a straight-sets loss at Mount Vernon Christian Tuesday night, the future is bright.

“The freshman have been carrying a big load recently, and I’m very proud of all of them,” Menges said.

“Hopefully they can see the progress being made, even through the losses.”

Tuesday’s match, while against a Northwest 2B/1B League foe, counts as a non-conference tilt, with the loss dropping the young Wolves to 1-2 on the season.

They get a chance to get right back at it, hosting Orcas Island Thursday, with five of their next six matches in their home gym.

CHS coach Ashley Menges offers some advice from her playing days. “Hit it off their kneecaps. They’ll be a lot less feisty after that, just sayin’.”

While Menges is training her spikers to play for victory, seeing improvement each time out, and a commitment to putting in the work matter greatly to the player turned coach.

“There were some highlights (Tuesday), and we slowly reached our goals through the night which I can always be happy with,” she said.

“We definitely have a lot to work through,” Menges added.

“But as of tonight, I can be happy with the work they’re putting in when things get overwhelming.”

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