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Posts Tagged ‘straight sets’

Wolf JV plucks Falcons

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on September 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Katie Marti was outstanding Monday, sparking Coupeville’s JV to a win over South Whidbey. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

They delivered the full experience.

The Coupeville High School JV volleyball squad started feisty and resilient Monday, before finishing dominant and devastating.

Crushing visiting South Whidbey 25-18, 25-22, 15-5 in a non-conference rumble, the Wolves raised their record to a sparkling 5-1 on the season.

And they did it by getting contributions from all nine players in uniform, with coach Ashley Menges expertly mixing and matching her lineup all night.

The opening set was a battle, with South Whidbey jumping out to a quick 7-3 lead before the Wolves found their mojo.

Freshman Taylor Brotemarkle turned things around with a fairly eye-popping play, launching a shot up and over her head while facing away from the net, with the ball splashing down behind the Falcon heavy hitters.

Katie Marti and Mia Farris both ripped off nice runs at the service stripe in the aftermath, with CHS coming all the way back to take a 13-10 lead.

No lead was safe in the opening set, however, as the two teams traded body blows.

South Whidbey went ahead 15-13, Coupeville rebounded thanks to a smokin’ hot spike off the fingertips of Madison McMillan, then the Falcons rallied again.

With the set knotted at 17-17, everyone was waiting for a hero to step up and claim the day.

And lo and behold one did, and her name was Gwen Gustafson.

Going airborne with a lil’ hop, the Wolf powerhouse unleashed a scorcher which melted the kneecaps off several South Whidbey players as it came back to Earth, melting a hole in the floor.

This time, Coupeville didn’t let loose of the lead, using service runs by Marti and Gustafson to close out the set on an 8-1 run.

The final shot was a delightful drop shot by Marti, who danced away, huge smile on her face.

That feeling lasted for a good stretch of the second set, as the Wolves used winners from Grey Peabody, McMillan, Marti, and Gustafson to stay within 10-9.

At which point the bottom fell out of Coupeville’s offense for a bit.

Eight points later, the Wolves were staring up at an 18-9 deficit, and might have been forgiven for closing up shop and moving on to the decisive third set.

But wait, not so fast.

Aby Wood cranked a huge spike down the right side of the floor to stop the bleeding, and that opened the magical floodgates.

Brotemarkle and Issabel Johnson each notched a couple of points at the service line, McMillan went on a mini-tear of aces, and the Wolves fought all the way back to 21-21.

A shell-shocked South Whidbey squad inched back ahead, for a half-second, at 22-21, but the flood had become a tsunami.

Marti and Wood delivered the final daggers, thrashing balls off of Falcon arms, and Coupeville concluded a set-ending 16-4 run which brought the home crowd to its feet, and kept them there.

Jada Heaton (10), Aby Wood, and Co. are an impressive 5-1 on the season. 

With the match decided, the teams played a cut-down third set to get a little more practice time in, though many of the South Whidbey players had seemingly mentally checked out by that point.

Unable to recover after being staggered, the Falcons were deer in the headlight in the third set, with Brotemarkle, McMillan, and Marti serving the visitors into oblivion.

Farris capped things with a splendid running tip for a winner, her fingers flicking the ball one way while the Falcons went the other, and the day was done.

It’s a performance the Wolves will look to duplicate Tuesday, when they travel to Friday Harbor for a Northwest 2B/1B League match.

Coupeville is a pristine 4-0 in conference action, while the Friday Harbor JV is 1-2.

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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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Long day, impressive win

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on April 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Maddie Georges doled out 24 assists Friday as Coupeville whacked Orcas Island in straight sets. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Jaimee Masters and Co. controlled play all afternoon.

Life on the road is never boring.

It was an extremely long day for the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad Friday, with an early departure and an extended return.

But, in the end it was worth it for the Wolves, as the time spent in the gym on Orcas Island went right to script, with Coupeville plundering the host Vikings in straight sets.

Winning 25-8, 25-17, 25-22, CHS lifts its record to 4-1 and remains in sole possession of second-place in the Northwest 2B/1B League, trailing just two-time defending state champ La Conner.

Thanks to the constantly-shifting schedules of the Age of Coronavirus, Coupeville doesn’t return to action until next Saturday, May 1, when it hosts Concrete on Senior Night.

While the wait between matches is an extended one, it’s nothing compared to the one the Wolves endured just trying to get back to Whidbey from Orcas.

With the ferry falling behind schedule by a truly-impressive 70 minutes, there was plenty of time to kill.

“It was a fun trip though,” said Wolf coach Cory Whitmore. “And, in our wait for the return ferry, we explored the terminal and then some very entertaining rounds of charades took place.”

When his squad was on the floor, the Coupeville spike guru came away pleased with much of what he witnessed.

“Overall we played well,” Whitmore said. “We spent most of the week working on our attacking, fixing form and our connection.

“It was rewarding to see it pay off — as a team we hit .256, which is a pretty efficient clip.”

Multiple Wolves embraced the spotlight, something their coach appreciates.

“Maddie Georges was a trooper, delivering some very well-placed sets despite nursing a bit of a wrist injury,” Whitmore said. “She averaged eight assists per set, and got everyone involved in the offense.”

Fellow sophomore Alita Blouin, making her season debut Friday, immediately found a groove.

“I’m also proud of how Alita stepped up and collected 10 digs,” Whitmore said. “She covered a lot of ground to take the pressure off others having to take the first contact and then transition to hit.”

With the ball moving crisply, Coupeville’s big hitters dominated at the net, with Chelsea Prescott, Kylie Chernikoff, and Maddie Vondrak all raining down death ‘n destruction on the Vikings.

“Another great night for our outside hitters,” Whitmore said. “Chelsea was very smooth on her approach and swing, hitting .310, with Kylie right behind her at .267.”

A day after signing her letter of intent to play volleyball for Medaille College in New York, Prescott thumped a match-high 13 kills, while adding seven service aces and six digs.

Chernikoff unleashed seven kills, went low for six digs, and popped an ace, while Lucy Tenore (five kills, two aces), Georges (24 assists, five aces, four digs), and Jaimee Masters (four digs) filled up the stat sheet.

Also making contributions were Jill Prince (two kills, two block assists), Vondrak (two kills), Ryanne Knoblich (two aces), and Abby Mulholland (an ace).

Coupeville was very strong at the service stripe, piling up 18 aces with just eight errors.

Knoblich, a fast-rising sophomore, bounced off the bench late in the third set with her team trailing 21-20, and immediately broke the Vikings spirit with two nasty aces to turn the tide.

“We had productivity from everywhere, and it was a great night for us to gain more experience and continue to work on very specific areas of focus,” Whitmore said.

“Looking forward to more practice time, fine-tuning things with this team of high-level learners.”

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“I like the balance!!”

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 25, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Payton Aparicio and Coupeville volleyball are flying high. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The final play of the match Wednesday told you everything you needed to know.

A Klahowya server launched the ball skyward, smacked the orb, then watched as it nestled into the net and flopped back on her side of the court.

Game, set, match and the air has completely gone out of the Eagles.

If you were naive enough to doubt the 1A Olympic League firmly belongs to the Coupeville High School volleyball program, then, I have a bridge to sell you, kid.

The Wolves have rolled through conference play, notching a second-straight league crown, and they have done it without dropping a set.

Flying high after a 25-15, 25-15, 25-19 dismantling of Klahowya, Coupeville is 8-0 in league (24-0 in sets played), 11-2 overall.

With one regular season match left, a trip to Port Townsend (2-5, 4-10) Saturday, the Wolves are chasing nothing short of perfection.

Though don’t tell them that, as, having tied last year’s team for wins, they have their eyes on bigger targets.

Districts are Nov. 4 in Tacoma, and CHS will need one win in two matches to earn the program’s first trip to state since 2004.

That team, coached by spiker guru Toni Crebbin, holds the program record with 13 wins in a season.

This year’s Wolf squad went out and methodically drilled Klahowya, then took time to honor its splendid seniors, seven players who form the core of a reborn program.

Katrina McGranahan, Hope Lodell, Kyla Briscoe, Allison Wenzel, Lauren Rose, Mikayla Elfrank and Payton Aparicio have played two seasons for coach Cory Whitmore and they have been two of the best seasons the Wolf spikers have ever enjoyed.

Coupeville is 16-1 in league play during his tenure, with the only slight mar a loss to Klahowya last season.

This year, it’s been all-Wolves, all-the-time, and nothing changed Wednesday night.

The largest deficit CHS faced at any moment was two points, and that was erased in a heartbeat by a couple of thunderous Wolf spikes which left divots in the floor and shredded the psyche of the Eagles.

After exchanging points to open the match, Coupeville surged when Lodell made her first trip to the service stripe.

“The Surgeon” sliced a few arms and legs off with a pair of back-to-back aces, then Aparicio and Elfrank painted the back line with wicked winners from the net and the rout was officially on.

While she’s only a superb sophomore, Scout Smith was more than willing to crash the party on Senior Night, and she drove the Eagles batty with her picture-perfect tips.

At one point in the first set, she rattled off three winners in a five-point run, gliding through the air, waiting for the defense to come to her, then angling the ball away from them with the tips of her deadly fingers.

If Klahowya had any thoughts of crowding the net, that quickly vanished as Briscoe pounded a nuclear strike off of an Eagle leg on a play set up by a spectacular last-second poke from Elfrank.

The Wolves were in total control, taking what was given them and exploiting every opportunity.

Elfrank, McGranahan and junior Emma Smith shut down any activity at the net, rising above it to quickly muffle any attacks from the Eagles.

Take a look at my notebook and you see a string of words like “massive hit” (Elfrank), “nasty ace” (Briscoe), “sliced off her kneecaps” (Aparicio) or, simply, “Hulk smash” (Emma Smith) and the picture paints itself.

When Klahowya could rally, the Wolves fought until they found an opening for a winner. But, many, many more times, Coupeville simply put the hammer down.

Which is exactly what Whitmore wants to see as his team heads towards its postseason run.

That the production is team-wide? Even better.

“I like the balance,” he said. “It was a good all-around effort. I get excited seeing our defense transition into offense, from a dig to a set to a put-away.

“I’m really happy with how we are playing.”

CHS spread out its stat sheet excellence, with Briscoe and Aparicio leading the attack with six kills apiece. Elfrank (5), Emma Smith (5) and Scout Smith (4) followed closely on their heels.

Aparicio added 10 digs and five aces, while Lodell (eight digs), Wenzel (7) and Briscoe (7) shared the load when it came time to go low and scrape the ball off the floor.

McGranahan and Ashley Menges tossed in three aces apiece, while Coupeville scored 39 points off of its serves.

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Three times the spikes, three times the wins!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 24, 2017| 1 Comment »

   After winning at Chimacum, Kyla Briscoe and the high-flying CHS spikers haven’t dropped a set in seven league matches. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

   Payton Aparicio (right), here spending quality time with Kayla Rose (left) and Emma Smith, had a school single-game record 18 service aces Tuesday.

By the time the Wolves were done chomping, not a Cowboy was left standing.

Flexing their collective spike-launching muscles, all three Coupeville High School volleyball squads cruised to straight-sets wins Tuesday at Chimacum, keeping their records spotless in conference action.

Take the Wolf varsity, JV and C-Team this season, add them together and they’re a combined 24-3 overall, 17-0 in Olympic League play.

Varsity cruises:

Having clinched a second-straight league title a night earlier, when Klahowya was upset by Port Townsend, Coupeville is playing for perfection.

The Wolves now sit at 7-0 in league play, 10-2 overall after drilling Chimacum (1-6, 1-9) to the tune of 25-13, 25-12, 25-18.

That keeps another streak alive, as well, as CHS has won all 21 sets it has played against league foes this season.

Coupeville returns home Wednesday to face Klahowya (4-3, 6-7) on Senior Night (4:00 varsity/5:15 JV), then wraps the regular season Saturday at Port Townsend (2-5, 4-10).

After that, it’s off to districts in Tacoma Nov. 4.

As the #1 seed from the Olympic League, the Wolves automatically advance to the double elimination portion of the tourney.

Win at least one of two matches and CHS volleyball is state bound for the first time since 2004.

Tuesday night was about getting in the gym, putting a quick and efficient beat-down on the Cowboys and ankling for the last ferry out of town.

But Chimacum, pulling a page out of North Mason’s “stall, stall and stall some more” playbook, stretched things way out, opting to play varsity last even though Coupeville had a set time to leave.

Then, the Cowboys opted to play meaningless third sets in both of the night’s first two matches, hold Senior Night festivities and still take every single minute allotted for the varsity teams to warm up.

Which meant the Wolves were literally racing the clock in the third set, trying to get that 75th and final point on the board before 7:30 PM clicked into view and the CHS bus started spinning its wheels in the parking lot.

They made it, but just barely, with numerous players chipping in to fill up the stat sheet.

“I thought we took care of business well, getting everyone involved in the process and working together,” Coupeville coach Cory Whitmore said. “Our serve was strong, serving to spots and moving the ball around.

“We have to hit with more efficiency come district time, but I thought we came at them from all angles when given the chance.”

Katrina McGranahan led the hit parade, pounding down seven kills, while Payton Aparicio was all over the floor, picking up four kills, six digs and a school single-game record 18 aces on her serve.

“Payton was on fire tonight! Very proud of how hard she has worked on her serve and it has definitely paid off in results,” Whitmore said.

The previous ace record was 13, set in 2010 by Jessica Riddle.

Kyla Briscoe and Mikayla Elfrank added three kills apiece, Hope Lodell went low for eight digs and McGranahan connected on five aces to round out the stat sheet.

JV romps:

The best record for any Coupeville fall sports team belongs to the JV spikers, who raised their record to a sterling 10-1 overall, 7-0 in league play.

Chris Smith’s squad was led by freshman Chelsea Prescott, who scorched the Cowboys with 10 aces during a 25-11, 25-8, 15-12 win.

C-Team rolls:

Coupeville’s third unit capped a 4-0 season with a 25-9, 25-12, 15-13 victory.

The Wolves were powered by the wham-bam serving duo of Heidi Clinkscales, who ripped off 12 aces at the service stripe, and Willow Vick, who pounded away for nine of her own.

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