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Posts Tagged ‘Teagan Calkins’

Spikers clinch title, make history

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Teagan Calkins brings the thunder and makes the hardwood quake. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

It wasn’t flawless, but they stayed perfect.

Concrete, playing on its Senior Night Thursday, became only the second team to take a set from the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball team this season.

But in the end, the high-flying Wolves were too much for the plucky Lions, rebounding for a 17-25, 25-22, 25-4, 25-12 win to clinch the Northwest 2B/1B League crown.

With the victory, the Wolves get to 9-0 in conference action, 11-0 overall, and the second mark is the best start in CHS volleyball history.

The 2024 net crew, which has three regular season matches left to play, starting with a non-conference rumble Saturday at Neah Bay, breaks a tie with the 2004 Wolves, who started 10-0 and finished 14-3.

Thursday’s match started with a stumble, as a fired-up Concrete squad seized control early.

The Lions are the first NWL team to take a set from Coupeville in regular match play this season, with non-conference foe Okanogan the only other school to ding the Wolves.

CHS, which is a senior-dominated team, pulled together, however, and reasserted its dominance.

“We struggled to focus on remembering ourselves today, but when we did, we played like I would’ve expected,” said Wolf coach Cory Whitmore.

“The first set was full of errors that then became errors in other skills. We definitely need to work on that.”

The Wolves got a big boost from “The Red Dragon,” as junior Teagan Calkins came flying in from the right side to decimate Concrete, pounding away for a team-best 19 kills.

“Teagan had a great night and Katie (Marti) got her the ball whenever we needed a point or a string of them,” Whitmore said.

“Teagan was very fluid and a good mix of power and precision.”

Madison McMillan, also known as Miss Dependable.

Whitmore also praised the steady play of senior jack of all trades Madison McMillan.

“Madison had a great game, especially from the service line,” he said.

“She gamed tonight – she would grab the ball, run back to the line, and had that look in her eye of confidence and a desire to take control of things.”

While the first set was a bump in the road, Whitmore has confidence in his veterans rising to the occasion and working things out on the floor while the storm rages around them.

Once again, they did not fail him.

“They had to find a way to settle in and do it together,” he said. “So, I’m glad that they made enough changes to get it done.”

 

Thursday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle – 4 digs
Teagan Calkins – 19 kills, 1 ace
Mia Farris – 8 kills, 2 digs, 2 block assists, 1 ace
Jada Heaton – 4 kills, 1 dig, 1 solo block
Katie Marti – 4 digs, 34 assists, 3 aces
Madison McMillan – 5 kills, 8 digs, 2 assists, 8 aces
Lyla Stuurmans – 9 kills, 4 digs, 3 assists, 2 block assists, 2 aces
Tenley Stuurmans – 2 digs

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“Red Dragon” roars

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Teagan Calkins cranks up the heat. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Respect for “The Red Dragon.”

Coupeville High School junior volleyball sensation Teagan Calkins was honored Thursday by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, picked as an Athlete of the Week winner.

Each week during the school year, the WIAA honors one girl and boy from each classification (1B-4A).

Athletes can be honored once and receive a letter of recognition, a certificate of achievement, a gift card, and “statewide bragging rights.”

Calkins was picked for her performance Thursday, Sept. 26, when she cranked a career-high 19 kills and collected six digs in a straight-sets home win against Darrington.

The victory, coming against a previously unbeaten Logger squad, lifted Coupeville to 5-0 overall, 4-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play.

The Wolves have yet to drop a set, reeling off a 15-0 start in regular season play heading into Thursday’s home tilt with Orcas Island.

Calkins, who also plays basketball and softball, is a stellar student, and helps out with the middle school volleyball program, leads the CHS spikers in kills this season while playing on the right side of the floor.

To see who joins her in being honored this week, pop over to:

Athlete of the Week

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“I’m really proud of the entire team!”

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on September 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Wolves stand strong at the net. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Times have changed.

For a very long time, La Conner High School volleyball was the beast of the Northwest 2B/1B League, a virtually unstoppable hitting machine that never lost in conference play.

Like never-ever for a decade-plus.

But times have changed.

Taking control of their own destiny, Coupeville’s varsity spikers strolled into La Conner’s gym Tuesday and seized the title of the new big-bad on the block.

Whacking the Braves 25-14, 25-19, 25-15, the Wolves hand their nemesis a loss in league play for the second-straight season.

CHS also gets to 3-0 in conference action, 4-0 overall, and has yet to drop a set.

Tuesday’s win sets up a major rumble Thursday, when fellow unbeaten Darrington (1-0, 5-0) visits Coupeville.

It’s the only time the Wolves will face the Loggers this season, as Cory Whitmore’s squad plays twice against the other four 2B schools in the NWL, but just once against 1B rivals Concrete and Darrington.

But that titanic tilt is still two days away.

For now, the Wolves can bask in the afterglow of a definitive win, achieved in the gym where a dynasty was built.

“It was a fun night on the road, and pretty exciting to get the win on their home court and do it in three,” Whitmore said.

“For the most part, we played pretty clean, which is what made up most of our scouting report.”

Coupeville knows its history, and the Wolves came prepared.

“We knew that their identity was to limit errors and attack smart,” Whitmore said.

“Our scouting report was to anticipate stuff going wide and be ready to outlast them until we can be in-rhythm to attack full-force.

“A La Conner team is going to make you earn your points and we did just that.”

The victory was a true team win, from the players on the floor, to the players who sell out every practice getting their compatriots primed for action.

“I’m really proud of the entire team,” Whitmore said. “Each did their role when called upon and I thought we also made small adjustments really well; our experience really showed tonight.

“I have to give an early shoutout to Chloe Marzocca, Aby Wood, and Carly Burt – they are a big part of getting ready, and so while they may not always see the court on gameday, their work is essential for us to be successful.”

Katie Marti directs traffic.

Wolf setter Katie Marti “did a great job of mixing up our hitting options when needed but also making the smart set for the highest pay off,” something which really drove the offense.

Popping note-perfect passes to her mighty mashers, who came in swinging hot ‘n heavy, the ever-peppy senior kept Coupeville on the attack, and La Conner on the defensive.

Given the chance to pound the ball, the Wolf big hitters did just that.

“Lyla (Stuurmans) and Teagan (Calkins) led the way with kills, but it was also their protection of the ball that made them so successful,” Whitmore said.

“Just those two combined for a .426 attack efficiency,” he added.

“It is impossible to be able to run through the middle (Lyla) and get the ball to the right side (Teagan) without really strong passing, and this is where we also excelled.”

Taylor Brotemarkle gets low to scrape a ball off the floor.

Putting the cherry on the sundae was the team’s nearly flawless work at the service stripe.

“A clean service game, committing only four service errors, helped to start off our defense in a strong position,” Whitmore said.

Now it’s on to the next match, always with an eye on improving, and maintaining their hot start.

“As a coaching staff, we have identified a couple areas that we could stand to improve upon,” Whitmore said.

“But the girls can be proud of having made this step, and we’ll now set our sights on preparing for Darrington on Thursday.”

 

Schedule change:

An issue with the ferry system has erased a non-conference road trip to Forks, originally set for Sept. 30.

The Wolf varsity will replace that rumble with a showdown with Okanogan Oct. 11 at Liberty High School in Spangle.

Coupeville was already traveling that direction, as it is slated to play in the Liberty Tournament the next day.

 

Tuesday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 5 digs
Teagan Calkins — 11 kills, 4 digs, 1 block assist, 3 aces
Mia Farris — 6 kills, 13 digs, 1 ace
Jada Heaton — 1 kill, 2 digs, 1 ace
Katie Marti — 2 kills, 9 digs, 33 assists
Madison McMillan — 7 kills, 13 digs, 2 aces
Lyla Stuurmans — 14 kills, 8 digs, 1 assist, 1 block assist, 5 aces
Tenley Stuurmans — 1 ace

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Thunder make some noise in finale

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on July 29, 2024| Leave a Comment »

With the travel ball season done, Teagan Calkins (center) will return to repping Coupeville’s red and black. (Photo courtesy Shawn Calkins)

They finished the summer season with a bang.

Crunching the ball at the plate, and playing inspired defense, the Whidbey Island Thunder 18U softball squad wrapped its campaign with a second-straight second-place performance at a weekend tourney.

Even without lineup stalwarts Taylor Brotemarkle and Loto Tupu, the all-star team bashed 30 hits across five games, including three home runs from longball lover EmmaJoy Wise.

The Thunder made huge strides this summer, jumping from a 15-25 record last year to 18-14-2 this time around.

That includes back-to-back second-place trophies on top of a 5th place finish at Cascade Nationals and an 8th place finish in the Canada Cup.

One final award, one final team pic. (Photo courtesy Shawn Calkins)

The finale — the Game Day Last Pitch tourney in Kent — started with a brief stumble for the Thunder, but they recovered quickly.

After dropping the opener 6-1, Whidbey rebounded to take the next two games by 11-1 and 10-3 margins.

“The girls came out first game of the pool play, and I think we left our bats back on the Island,” said Thunder coach Matt Suto.

“It happens.

“That didn’t stop us, that just made us mad and fired up our bats,” he added. “We came back the next game and just hit right off the bat and never took a foot off the gas pedal.”

Heading into bracket play Sunday, the Thunder got a measure of revenge, smacking the team they lost to in the opener.

This time out, Whidbey won 9-1, propelling them into the championship bout.

The offense hit a downturn in the final game, however, with a double off the bat of Layla Suto about the only spark.

While he would have liked to end things with a title, Matt Suto came away from the game, the tourney, and the season, very pleased with what he saw.

“I cannot express how proud I am of every single one of these girls,” he said.

The tournament not only brought an end to the season but was also the swan song for the current lineup.

EmmaJoy Wise and flamethrower Grace Swenson will be playing at the collegiate level next year, while several other players are moving on to other teams.

But while the lineup may be revamped next summer, Matt Suto has high hopes.

“I am incredibly honored to be able to be a part of every single one of these girls’ softball journey,” he said.

“Thank you, players and families, for an amazing summer; every single girl contributed in some way, and I am proud of every one of them.

“I cannot thank the families for their support every weekend in allowing myself, Shelly Ryder, and Lance Lopez to coach these wonderful athletes.

“The Thunder squad is still strong; we will just have to find the fit for the girls that we are losing, and I believe we will come back even stronger next year ready to take on any challenge.”

 

Weekend stats:

Zoe Abbott — Two walks
Kylee Baize — Two singles
Jivanna Bird — One double
Teagan Calkins — Five singles, two doubles
Hayden Davies — Four singles, one walk
Anna Friedrichs — One double, three walks
Madison McMillan — One double, five walks
Ramona Ryder — Three singles, one double
Layla Suto — One singles, two doubles, two walks
Grace Swenson — Two singles, one walk
EmmaJoy Wise — Two singles, three home runs, one walk

That’s a wrap. (Photo courtesy Matt Suto)

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Big bats, big results

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on July 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Spring or summer, Madison McMillan punishes softballs. (Jackie Saia photo)

Swing for the fences and aim for success.

Cranking four home runs and 14 extra-base hits, the Whidbey Island Thunder 18U softball squad won four of five at a 14-team tourney in Kent this past weekend, coming up just a run short of capturing a title.

The hard-hitting squad swept through pool play with a perfect 3-0 record, came out on top in the semifinals, then fell 3-2 in a tightly contested Gold Bracket championship bout.

“I am so extremely impressed with how these girls have come together the last few weeks and just shown everybody that the little Whidbey Thunder organization is something to be reckoned with,” said coach Matt Suto.

“They left their hearts out on the field, and they smiled even after they lost,” he added. “These girls have worked hard all year long and we are eventually going to get that championship win.”

The Thunder came out on fire, with Madison McMillan and EmmaJoy Wise launching longballs to center in a 4-2 win over the Washington Freedom.

McMillan, one of three Coupeville sluggers on the roster along with Teagan Calkins and Taylor Brotemarkle, sent her tater flying 240+ feet, dropping jaws in both dugouts.

With her teammates teeing off, and a strong defense at work behind her, Thunder hurler Grace Swenson got the win in the pitcher’s circle, then handed the ball off to Zoe Abbott for game #2.

Late-game offensive heroics from Anna Friedrichs and Hayden Davies lifted Whidbey to a 4-3 win, before the all-star squad pasted their next foe 12-0 to wrap up a perfect run through pool play.

Ramona Ryder made it three Whidbey pitchers, and three wins, while Layla Suto cracked a three-run homerun to fuel the offensive surge.

“The girls just kept pounding the ball and being aggressive on the bases,” Matt Suto said.

The Whidbey Thunder celebrate a second-place finish at a 14-team tourney. (Photo courtesy Matt Suto)

The Thunder went into Sunday’s semifinals as the #1 team, marking the second weekend in a row they had achieved that feat.

This time out, Whidbey beat the Whatcom Wolverines 6-3 with Swenson dealing from the circle and Layla Suto making a phenomenal snag to rob her rivals of a potential home run.

“This was the championship game in my opinion,” Matt Suto said. “I have personally waited three years to beat this team and the girls came out fired up ready to play ball.

“Swenson pitched an absolute dime of a game in the circle, backed by multiple plays that secured the victory for us.”

While the bats were potent, it was the gloves which carried the day.

“We had killer defense in the infield — nothing got by the girls,” Matt Suto said. “They were putting their bodies and everything in front of the ball and they knocked the ball down and threw everyone out.”

Whatcom had one final chance, cramming the bags full of runners with their top hitter strolling to the plate.

To which Swenson said, “No Ma’am, not today. Not on my watch.”

The duo battled through a nine-pitch at-bat, before Whidbey’s ace “dug deep, got her pitch where she wanted it, and struck her out,”

Swenson then doubled her fun, whiffing the game’s final batter to send her team into the championship tilt.

“The championship game Zoe pitched an amazing game,” Matt Suto said. “Unfortunately, we had one mistake that cost us three runs, and that was it.”

Layla Suto clobbered a two-run homer to keep Whidbey within one run, but that was where things ended.

“We fought to the very end,” Matt Suto said. “We just ran out of steam.”

The Thunder wrap their season with a trip to Kent next weekend, before players head back to their individual schools.

 

Weekend stats:

Zoe Abbott — One single
Teagan Calkins — One single, two doubles, four walks
Hayden Davies — One single, one walk
Anna Friedrichs — Three singles
Madison McMillan — Two singles, one double, one triple, one home run, one walk
Mia Regan — Two singles
Ramona Ryder — One single, one double, two walks
Layla Suto — Two singles, one double, two home runs, two walks
Grace Swenson — One single
Loto Tupu — Three singles, one double
EmmaJoy Wise — Three singles, three doubles, one home run, one walk

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