Payton Aparicio delivered eight aces and three kills Tuesday in an opening night win. (John Fisken photo)
The Wolves aren’t afraid of any Hurricanes.
Raining down laser serves from every angle, the Coupeville High School volleyball squad blew the hinges off the Mount Vernon Christian gym Tuesday night.
By the time they were done, the Wolves had romped to a season-opening 25-10, 25-7, 25-17 non-conference win, kicking off the new year in style.
“It went well last night, as our first game of the season spent on the road, and at the tail end of an exciting first day of school,” CHS coach Cory Whitmore said. “I was pleased to see us perform up to our current potential and not let an opponent dictate the speed and consistency of the game.”
Coupeville, picking up where it left off last year, seized the advantage at the service line.
Senior Payton Aparicio lashed a team-high eight aces, while Ashley Menges dropped in six and last year’s #1 threat, Hope Lodell, whacked five.
Everyone wearing a Wolf uniform seemed to be in a groove when they stepped to the stripe, with eight different CHS players recording at least one ace.
Scout Smith (3), Kyla Briscoe (2), Allison Wenzel (2), Katrina McGranahan (1) and Maya Toomey-Stout (1) rounded out the big guns, as Coupeville racked up 28 aces on the night.
“I was happy to see our serving pick up in contrast to the jamboree,” Whitmore said. “We were tentative on Saturday, but last night we served consistent and aggressive.”
When the ball was in play, the Wolves stayed aggressive, recording a strong .258 hitting percentage on the night.
Menges and Smith combined for 16 assists, while Aparicio, McGranahan and Briscoe connected on three kills apiece.
“Happy with what I saw tonight,” Whitmore said. “We’re looking forward to practice this week to progress.”
Coupeville heads to Langley Saturday for the South Whidbey Invite, a five-team event which will pit the two Island schools against Friday Harbor, Orcas Island and Nooksack Valley.
Coupeville Sports 