Sydney Autio | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Sydney Autio’

Wolves launch big bounce-back!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged Bellevue Christian, CHS Wolves, Maddy Hilkey, Sydney Autio, volleyball on October 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Wolf frosh Maddy Hilkey stepped in at libero Tuesday and sparkled. (John Fisken photo)

They put the fear of God into ’em.

Playing on the road, minus arguably their most dynamic player, the Coupeville High School spikers pushed a private school powerhouse to the brink Tuesday night.

While the Wolves eventually fell 25-22, 25-20, 25-22 to host Bellevue Christian, they went down landing hay-makers from all sides, sparked by a freshman adding another chapter to her family’s storied athletic history.

With starting libero Valen Trujillo unavailable, ninth grader Maddy Hilkey stepped into the role and was en fuego, reviving memories of mom Emrie McCauslin, a former Wolf legend in several sports.

“Maddy did an amazing job of stepping up,” said jubilant CHS coach Breanne Smedley.

And it wasn’t just the young phenom who delighted her coach on this night.

Bouncing back from an agonizing five-set defeat to Chimacum in their previous match, the Wolves showed the loss would inspire them, and not crack their resolve.

“They battled and fought well,” Smedley said. “We had great strings of points, then would let them creep back in.

“Still working on finishing and closing out games under pressure, but the girls were swinging and playing aggressively against a hard-hitting and scrappy team.”

Coupeville came strong at the net, with its big hitters rising to the occasion.

“Our middles were also effective tonight,” Smedley said. “Both Katrina (McGranahan) and McKenzie (Bailey) did a great job swinging for corners and playing aggressively at the net.”

The Wolves best run came in the third set, when Sydney Autio ripped off nine straight points at the service stripe, sending her team to an 11-2 lead.

Autio finished with 16 service points while also putting up 14 assists from the setter position, while Bailey (six kills) and McGranahan (three aces, six kills) pounded away.

Hard-hitting sophomore sensation Payton Aparicio was on target as well, collecting five kills.

Coupeville returns home Thursday for a non-conference match against 1A Olympic League foe Port Townsend (yeah, it’s confusing), then kicks off the “real” six-match league schedule Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Having proved their resiliency, the scrappy Wolves, who are expected to have Trujillo back in the lineup Thursday, want to prove their 1-6 record is deceptive.

“The girls are motivated and excited to bring this intensity against Port Townsend on Thursday!,” Smedley said.

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Service game, on point!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged CHS Wolves, Katrina McGranahan, McKenzie Bailey, Sydney Autio, Valen Trujillo, volleyball on September 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

McKenzie Bailey paced Coupeville Wednesday in Darrington with eight kills and three blocks. (John Fisken photo)

If they could have served all night, and done nothing else, we’d be talking about a win.

Unfortunately, playing volleyball requires multiple skills, and struggles in a few other areas Wednesday cost the Coupeville High School spikers.

While their service game kept them in the match for a bit, too many hitting errors ultimately killed the Wolves, sending them to a 25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19 non-conference loss at Darrington.

The defeat dropped Coupeville to 1-4.

The Wolves will get an immediate chance to bounce back into the win column, however, as they return home Thursday to face 1A Olympic League rival Chimacum in a non-league match.

That match (JV tips at 4:30, varsity at 6:15), and one Oct. 8 against Port Townsend, will share the unusual distinction of not counting in the race for playoff spots and seeding, even though they are against fellow league teams.

All three schools needed extra matches, but only Coupeville’s final six matches (Oct. 13-Oct. 29) — two each against Klahowya, Chimacum and Port Townsend — count in the official league standings.

Regardless of how Thursday’s match is classified, the Wolves will hope to stay on point with their serving, which was their primary weapon at Darrington.

Led by Valen Trujillo, who was flawless at the line, and Katrina McGranahan, who ripped off five straight aces at one point, Coupeville hit on a superb 90% of its serves.

“Sydney (Autio), Katrina, Lauren (Rose), Payton (Aparicio) and Valen did a great job putting the pressure on from the service line,” said Wolf coach Breanne Smedley.

What killed the Wolves in the end was an inability to put away points.

“We had solid passing and serving throughout the match,” Smedley said. “Hitters struggled to execute, giving away multiple points on errors.

“The girls did a great job battling for every point and closing leads by serving, though.”

Trujillo sparked the Wolves, compiling a 2.6 passing average and going low for 18 digs.

“Valen had her best of the season so far,” Smedley said. “She was focused, reading well and making amazing plays in the back row.

“She was a solid constant for our team.”

Coupeville’s two seniors stepped up, with McKenzie Bailey pounding away for eight kills and three blocks, while Autio had six service aces and dealt out 12 assists.

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Young, but ready to rumble!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged 1A Olympic League, CHS Wolves, Lauren Rose, Sydney Autio, Valen Trujillo, volleyball on August 31, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Wolf junior Tiffany Briscoe is a key returning player. (John Fisken photos)

Sophomore Katrina McGranahan is back and ready to unleash her power game.

Never back down.

That captures the attitude shown by the Coupeville High School volleyball squad, which is looking to bounce back from a fourth-place finish in the 1A Olympic League last year.

While those Wolves went 1-11, many of the matches were close affairs and CHS was rarely, if ever, blown out.

The loss of five players to graduation will sting a bit, but much of the core of the team was young last year, which bodes well for this season and the future.

“My expectation is that our team competes every day, gives maximum effort for the sake of their team, and challenges each other to become better,” said Wolf coach Breanne Smedley. “Our goals are to improve with each week, earn a league title, and compete into the post season.

“We are out to beat them all! We talk about all other teams as just another jersey,” she added. “We are constantly competing with ourselves and focusing on what is going to help us improve each week.

“All else will fall into place if we are successful in this.”

As Smedley heads into her second year at the helm of the Wolves, she’ll have a roster that is still fairly young, with just two seniors.

Middle blocker McKenzie Bailey and setter Sydney Autio, who was out injured much of last year, are those veterans, and they’ll be joined by juniors Valen Trujillo (libero), Tiffany Briscoe (OH) and Ally Roberts (OPP).

Sophomores Kyla Briscoe (OH/OPP), Katrina McGranahan (MB), Lauren Rose (setter), Hope Lodell (OH) and Payton Aparicio (OH) and freshman phenom Emma Smith (MB) are also in the mix.

It’s a group that has stepped up in off-season workouts and is intent on toppling Klahowya, Port Townsend and Chimacum.

“Our strengths include the ownership the girls are taking over the program, and their competitiveness to continually improve,” Smedley said. “We have depth from pin to pin in our offense, which will prove to become a strength for us if we can focus in on quality first ball contacts.”

As their season opener approaches (Sept. 8 at home against South Whidbey), the Wolves remain hard at work.

“We need to work on controlling the first ball contact on serve receive and in defense,” Smedley said. “We are also working on getting our middles to run quicker through the middle and introducing combinations into our offense.

“It is all dependent on the first ball contact, though.”

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You Autio be impressed!!

Posted in Cheer, Girls Tennis, Happy birthday, Volleyball, tagged Cheer, CHS Wolves, Happy birthday, Sydney Autio, tennis, volleyball on August 20, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Sydney Autio (John Fisken photos)

Autio shares a moment with former CHS cheer coach Sylvia Arnold.

Sydney Autio has moxie.

Plus spunk, spirit, talent and a heart as big as all get out.

The Coupeville High School senior, who celebrates a birthday today, has been front and center in three sports for the Wolves during her time in the red and black.

Whether operating as a spiker, a netter or a cheerleader, Autio’s love of life shines through every time.

Sydney always seems to enjoy herself and her positive spirit shines through even when injury sidelines her, as it did for a bit last season.

As she charges into her final year at CHS, ready to help lead the Wolf volleyball squad in a bid to unseat the other squads in the 1A Olympic League, we want to wish her the best.

Happy birthday, Miss Autio.

May your day, your year, shine as brightly as you do.

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