Wolf ace Alita Blouin delivered 11 digs and four aces Tuesday night. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
After playing its opener with just seven players, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball team was back at full-force Tuesday, and visiting Mount Vernon Christian didn’t have a shot.
With fab frosh Savina Wells raining down a team-high 12 kills in her debut, and all of her more-experienced mates chipping in with solid efforts, the Wolves romped to a 25-19, 25-16, 25-19 win in their home opener.
Now a crisp 2-0 on the season, CHS jumps right back into things with another Northwest 2B/1B League match on its home floor Thursday. This time it’s Orcas Island visiting.
Facing off with the always-plucky Hurricanes, Coupeville shot itself in the foot at times early in Tuesday’s match, with service errors disrupting momentum.
But then things clicked into place.
“After a bit of a shaky start, pretty clearly working out the nerves, we got going and it was fun to watch,” said Wolf coach Cory Whitmore.
A 9-2 run sparked by the play of Taygin Jump and Lucy Tenore flipped things around in the opening set, before Coupeville really settled in and played as a finely-tuned machine.
“Set two we were much more relaxed and focused,” Whitmore said. “Our passing was particularly strong and (setter) Maddie Georges was able to move the ball around, getting all of our hitters involved.
“Set three had a couple rough stretches where we let them creep back into the game, but ultimately I was excited to see our veterans take charge, leading the newcomers through the jitters and to a strong finish.
“We will work on cleaning up a lot,” he added. “But tonight was about showing up for the home crowd and acclimating our newcomers to the environment.”
Coupeville, which lost four key players to graduation, has a mix of semi-veterans and newbies on its roster, including several freshmen capable of making an impact from day one.
“In her varsity debut, Savina Wells did a fantastic job of learning how to connect with Maddie’s set, in addition to playing six rotations,” Whitmore said.
“Athleticism aside, she is learning the game at a rapid pace and then brought some heat on the left-side attack.
“Also in her first outing in the varsity uniform, Lyla Stuurmans did well in the back row and the front,” Whitmore added. “With the attempts she was given, she hit efficiently on the left side and will just continue to elevate her game.”
It wasn’t all about the freshmen, however, as Coupeville’s pack of battle-hardened juniors like Georges, Tenore, and Jill Prince form the core of the Wolf squad.
“Lucy had another efficient night on the right side and has really worked hard to improve her form and flow on the attack,” Whitmore said.
“Olivia Schaffeld was back in the middle and did a strong job. She even brought four aces to the stat sheet and looked comfortable flowing with the game,” he added. “Alita Blouin took a lot of receptions tonight and then was really mentally dialed-in reading the incoming attack.”
Prince, an Honorable Mention All-Conference player as a sophomore, continues to raise her game, as well.
“Jill was working really hard in transition and making herself available in the middle,” Whitmore said. “It won’t go in as a stat, but her drive to attack the ball opens up gaps for the other attackers to have room to hit.
“Very proud of how she and Maddie are working together for their connection. And Maddie was across the stat sheet, dishing assists as usual, but also a few aces, a couple kills on the setter dump, and even a solo block.”
Toss in strong work from others such as Ryanne Knoblich and Grey Peabody, and it’s a deep and promising roster already locked-in on piling up wins as the Wolves chase two-time defending state champ La Conner in the NWL.
“All-in-all, a big team effort for the win, and we will keep looking at practice as our time to push and get better, while showcasing our work on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Whitmore said.
“This group has very strong chemistry, and it is a fun thing to watch when they get going and flowing together.”
Tuesday stats:
Alita Blouin — 11 digs, 1 assist, 4 aces
Maddie Georges — 2 kills, 3 digs, 22 assists, 3 aces, 1 solo block, 1 block assist
Taygin Jump — 3 digs, 1 ace
Ryanne Knoblich — 4 digs
Grey Peabody — 1 kill
Jill Prince — 8 kills, 1 block assist
Olivia Schaffeld — 3 kills, 4 aces, 1 block assist
Lyla Stuurmans — 4 kills, 1 dig
Lucy Tenore — 6 kills, 2 aces
Savina Wells — 12 kills, 2 digs, 1 block assist
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