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Posts Tagged ‘Northwest League’

Wolves topple Orcas, stay undefeated

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on September 16, 2021| 1 Comment »

Olivia Schaffeld and her friends are a pristine 3-0 on the season. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

It wasn’t flawless, but it didn’t need to be.

Rising to the occasion in crucial moments, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad overcame a few hiccups Thursday, running visiting Orcas Island off the floor in straight sets.

Even with a few misfires along the way, the Wolves never trailed, not even by a point, and convincingly won 25-14, 25-19, 25-16.

The victory lifts Coupeville to 3-0 on the season and keeps it atop the Northwest 2B/1B League standings.

Facing an “energetic” Orcas team which didn’t have many heavy hitters, but did possess a lot of moxie, the Wolves responded to every surge by the visitors.

“We had somewhat shaky execution at times, but we worked our way out of trouble, which is a big positive,” said Coupeville coach Cory Whitmore.

In particular, he praised the connection between setter Maddie Georges and big hitter Lucy Tenore, who popped for a team-high seven kills.

“You can see Maddie feels very confident setting for Lucy, and they have a very solid connection,” Whitmore said.

That duo got their team going in the early stages Thursday, with Georges opening the match at the service stripe, and Tenore and Olivia Schaffeld connecting almost immediately on winners to fuel a quick 3-0 run.

Two turns later, it was Schaffeld with the ball in her hand, and her four-point tear at the line sent Coupeville sprinting towards a first-set win.

Jill Prince was a powerful ally, teaming up with Tenore to stuff Orcas at the net, then climbing the ladder solo to thrash the stuffing out of the ball on a later play.

It was an equal opportunity kind of night, with virtually everyone in a Wolf uniform pulling off at least one crowd-pleasing play as things unfolded.

Whether it was Lyla Stuurmans leaning far back over her head to catch a falling ball, before firing off a winner which sliced ‘n diced the Vikings, or Georges twisting in mid-air to flip a shot over the heads of the defense, the highlight reel was full.

Schaffeld won the “best reaction” award, punching a ball inches from her face to save a point, while Tenore prowled the net like a wild beast unleashed.

Ending the opening set with back-to-back winners, the junior powerhouse then immediately bounced back to open set #2 with yet another knee-buckling kill.

Coupeville jumped out fast — romping to a 5-0 lead, then stretching it to 13-5 — and sauntered in for the set win, with Taygin Jump and Alita Blouin peppering their foes with unreturnable serves along the way.

The third set was more of the same, with Coupeville simply too deep and too talented for the very-scrappy Vikings to derail.

Freshman Savina Wells, who had been busy poppin’ shots all match from the left side, delivered a gorgeous ace which soared high, then dropped fast, successfully nicking the last flake of paint off the backline.

That caused proud papa Lyle Wells to fist punch the air in delight while dancing atop the top row of the bleachers, a perfect punctuation note to another night of Wolf success.

 

Thursday stats:

Alita Blouin — 14 digs, 2 assists, 1 ace
Maddie Georges — 1 kill, 9 digs, 10 assists, 3 aces
Taygin Jump — 2 digs
Ryanne Knoblich — 5 digs
Grey Peabody — 1 kill, 1 block assist
Jill Prince — 5 kills, 3 block assists
Olivia Schaffeld — 1 kill, 5 digs, 3 aces
Lyla Stuurmans — 2 kills, 3 digs
Lucy Tenore — 7 kills, 2 digs, 1 ace, 3 block assists
Savina Wells — 4 kills, 3 digs, 3 aces, 1 block assist

“Let the bodies hit the floor!”

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Opening night win for booters

Posted in Girls Soccer, tagged , , , , on September 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Audrianna Shaw knocked in a pair of goals Thursday, lifting Coupeville to a win in its season opener. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Once unleashed, they couldn’t be stopped.

A mere 12 days after the season-opening jamboree, the Coupeville High School girls soccer team finally got to play a regular game Thursday night.

At which point the Wolves promptly brought the home fans to their feet with a stirring 4-2 win over Northwest 2B/1B League rival La Conner.

Coupeville jumped on the visiting Braves with an early goal, but found themselves trailing 2-1 at the half.

Responding to whatever words of wisdom were sent their way by coach Kyle Nelson, the Wolves responded, raining down scores after the break.

“It took us awhile to get into full game mode, but the second half was ours,” Nelson said.

Coupeville got goals from a trio of shooters, with senior Audrianna Shaw leading the way with a pair of scores.

Sophie Martin and Eryn Wood also hit the back of the net, with all three players looking to make a move up the CHS career scoring chart.

Thursday’s goal was the sixth in a Wolf uniform for Martin, who moves into a tie with Mallory Kortuem at #10 on the all-time list.

Five CHS girls have tallied double-digit scoring, ranging from Mia Littlejohn with 35 goals to Avalon Renninger, who punched in 12.

Wood has four career goals for the high school program, with Shaw sitting with three.

 

Saturday game site changed:

Coupeville returns to action Saturday with a road non-conference game against East Jefferson.

The game was originally set for Memorial Stadium in Port Townsend, but the field has a conflict, so things have been moved to Chimacum High School.

That school is located at 91 W. Valley Rd. in Chimacum.

Game time is 11 AM.

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Full bench, full hearts, can’t lose

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on September 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »

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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Hark! Standings are back

Posted in standings, tagged , , , , , on September 12, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Olivia Schaffeld and Coupeville volleyball are a perfect 1-0 on the season. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Katelin McCormick and Wolf girls soccer kick off their season this coming week.

Now, everyone starts to play.

The week ahead is the first to feature all five Coupeville High School fall sports teams in action, with girls soccer finally hitting the pitch.

Most of the action is in the latter stages of the week, with six of seven events going down between Thursday and Saturday.

Wolf volleyball is the only program to play in the first part of the week, with a home match Tuesday against Mount Vernon Christian, followed by a Thursday home clash with Orcas Island.

Girls soccer makes its debut Thursday at home against La Conner, then hits the road Saturday for a non-conference tilt with East Jefferson — the result of Chimacum and Port Townsend merging into one program for athletics.

Also seeing action is Wolf football — on the road Friday at East Jefferson — boys soccer and cross country.

The CHS booters host Orcas Island Friday, with the harriers traveling to Langley Saturday for the 42nd annual Carl Westling Invitational.

Where things stand through games of September 11:

 

Northwest League boys soccer:

School League Overall
MV Christian 2-0-0 2-0-0
PC Christian 2-0-0 2-0-0
Friday Harbor 1-1-0 1-1-0
CPC-Lynnwood 0-0-0 0-0-0
Orcas Island 0-0-0 0-0-0
Coupeville 0-1-0 0-1-0
Grace Academy 0-1-0 0-1-0
La Conner 0-1-0 0-1-0
Lopez Island 0-1-0 0-1-0

 

Northwest League football:

School League Overall
Concrete 0-0 0-1
Coupeville 0-0 0-2
Darrington 0-0 0-1
Friday Harbor 0-0 0-2
La Conner 0-0 0-1

 

Northwest League girls soccer:

School League Overall
Coupeville 0-0-0 0-0-0
Friday Harbor 0-0-0 0-1-0
La Conner 0-0-0 0-0-0
MV Christian 0-0-0 1-0-1

 

Northwest League volleyball:

School League Overall
Coupeville 1-0 1-0
La Conner 1-0 2-0
MV Christian 1-0 1-0
Orcas Island 0-0 0-1
Concrete 0-1 0-1
Darrington 0-1 2-1
Friday Harbor 0-1 0-1

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“I’m really proud of this group”

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on September 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Lucy Tenore smashed 16 kills Thursday as Coupeville’s varsity volleyball team won its season opener on the road. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

You find a way.

Opening the season on the road, in a conference clash, missing four players, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad proved incredibly resilient.

Getting big contributions from all seven players in uniform Thursday night, the Wolves found their groove, knocking off host Concrete 27-25, 25-12, 25-27, 25-19.

“It wasn’t always pretty, but we played just well enough to come out on the road with a win,” said CHS coach Cory Whitmore.

“It’s tough to go on the road for your first match and have it be league competition, but it’s made especially difficult being down a few starters,” he added.

“I’m really proud of how this group responded to direction, and we just relied on a full group effort.”

Concrete came out on fire, jumping ahead 18-8 in the first set, then Coupeville found its missing spark.

“Our first set was quickly slipping away from us, and so we changed our serving strategy to be more aggressive,” Whitmore said. “And Taygin Jump got that going.

“We climbed out by serving tough and swinging away on the attack,” he added. “Taygin did a great job of changing that mentality by pushing her serve tougher and tougher.”

After cruising through the second set, the Wolves let up a bit in the third frame, and paid for it.

But Coupeville responded to the momentary setback, earning a nod of approval from their coach, who kicked off his sixth season at CHS in style.

Now boasting a 56-24 mark in his time on the Wolf bench, Whitmore brought his winning percentage to a sizzlin’ .700.

“Sometimes it’s a win, sometimes it’s a lesson. And on lucky occasions, it’s both,” he said. “I’m excited for these girls and the experience we gained. Good way to start the season.”

Coupeville’s seven active players combined to rack up some impressive numbers, with freshman Katie Marti leading the way.

Subbing for team captain Maddie Georges at setter, Marti doled out 28 assists to go with nine digs, four aces, and three kills.

Freshman Katie Marti played like a veteran in her varsity debut.

Coupeville’s big hitters combined for 36 kills, with Lucy Tenore pounding home 16, while Grey Peabody smashed 11 in her varsity debut, and Jill Prince collected nine.

“Grey did such a great job, being pulled up from JV as needed and looked very comfortable out there,” Whitmore said. “Very happy for her.

“Lucy was phenomenal in this opener with just three errors on 28 swings on the right side, hitting .464. She played with control AND aggression.”

Olivia Schaffeld, who joined Peabody, Jump, and Marti in making their varsity debuts, went low for 10 digs and drew praise from Whitmore.

“Very proud of Olivia adjusting her position to play outside, a difficult move,” he said.

Jump chipped in with 13 digs and six aces, tying her for top team honors with Alita Blouin, who “really stepped up as a leader” and was hyper-efficient with 20 digs, four assists, and six aces.

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