Freshman spiker Maddie Vondrak (back) and big sis Peytin had plenty to celebrate Thursday as Coupeville’s JV romped to another win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Hide the children, cause things are about to get nasty!
Or, better yet, make sure the youngsters are watching, cause they can learn a lot watching the Coupeville High School JV spikers terrorize anyone foolish enough to step to them.
The Wolf young guns, a pack of kill-happy young women who have soared to the best record of any CHS fall sports team, would make great role models.
For more than one reason.
First, of course, is their ability to dissect an opponent, as they did to visiting Port Townsend Thursday night.
But, beyond their athletic skills, the 15 warriors who suit up for Wolf JV coach Chris Smith are a band of sisters who play with a “one for all and all for one” mentality which bodes well for the future.
The squad has stars, sure, but everyone contributes, and every night offers someone new the chance to grab a slice of the spotlight.
Thursday, during a 25-13, 25-4, 25-19 romp which raised their record to 6-0 in league play, 9-1 overall, the Wolves proved they could play from in front or behind.
In the second set, Coupeville cruised behind a hot streak of epic proportions from libero Emma Mathusek, who ripped off 15 consecutive points on her serve.
A set later, with their second-string carrying much of the load, the Wolves fought back from a late deficit.
From down 16-12 to finishing on a 13-3 tear, they refused to let a point die early and would not bend even under great duress.
While the RedHawks made things interesting for a bit in the third set, this was a match which was decided early. Very early.
I mean very, very early.
Meet Raven Vick, the “closer” who puts an exclamation point on things before the conversation has even begun.
The Wolf sophomore elevated on the far left side of the net on the very first play of the game, lashing a winner that went cross-court, bit the corner of the court and exploded in the general direction of the locker room.
As a RedHawk went down the hallway to retrieve the ball after Vick’s laser show ended the play, you could predict the outcome of the match with amazing ease.
On one side of the net, Port Townsend’s players looked like nervous deer who were suddenly realizing standing in front of those oncoming headlights might not have been the best career choice.
Jump the net and Mathusek and Maya Toomey-Stout were exchanging fist bumps, Vick was reloading her arm cannon and Lucy Sandahl was bouncing in place, smile on her face as she nodded in approval at her teammate’s display of awesomeness.
Game, set, match, Wolves, one point in.
But, you have to play the match for real, so the Wolves quickly went to work making the whispered predictions in my brain come true.
Vick went on a rampage at the service stripe, ripping increasingly nasty serves, Savannah Smith put on a tipping clinic at the net and the duo of Zoe Trujillo and Chelsea Prescott pasted the ball with wild abandon.
Trujillo’s kill was set up by a phenomenal running save from Mathusek, who ran all the way to the back wall in pursuit of a careening ball, then had the presence of mind to flick it backwards over her head before bouncing off the bricks.
That type of effort wasn’t much needed in the night’s middle set, as Mathusek and Jaimee Masters accounted for virtually all the points off of their nonreturnable service attacks.
But jump forward to the third set and hustle was back on the menu.
The pride of Germany, Charlotte Nölle, had a sweet tip for a winner, while Maddie Vondrak, Catherine Lhamon, Willow Vick, Megan Behan and Heidi Clinkscales all chipped in to capture the win.
Ending the match on as much of a bang as it started, Coupeville turned to Kylie Chernikoff to turn the lights out.
The Wolf frosh, who was dropping bombs all match, closed with back-to-back winners off of points set up by Lhamon’s serves.
First Chernikoff crunched a huge spike, then, on the final point of the night, she went one better, reaching backwards over her head to corral the ball, before launching it forward with substantial force.
The boom of the ball hitting the court on the other side of the net was the sound of victory, the roar of a young team which is dominating today, and plans to dominate tomorrow.
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