Zoe Trujillo, the newest member of the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
She made it look effortless.
Even if I know it wasn’t.
I know she worked hard behind the scenes, just like her sister. Her family has always embraced hard work, sacrifice, and commitment.
But when Zoe Trujillo played, she made it look effortless.
Sporting killer socks, a young Zoe eyeballs her rivals on the basketball court.
It’s not always easy to be the younger sister, to follow the path laid down by an older sibling, especially if that person was a one-of-a-kind athlete and human being.
But Zoe Trujillo, like big sis Valen, always rose to the moment.
Put her next to a volleyball net, place her on a tennis court, or drop her into the world of track and field, and the little sister crafted her own highlight reel, made her own memories.
Zoe was lethal when unleashed, gracefully twirling into the air, pausing for a second or two in mid-flight to survey the scene on the other side of the net, then ripping off a laser of a spike.
She was a big hitter and a big part of the success of a Coupeville High School volleyball program which never finished lower than second-place in league during her four years on campus.
Her senior season in the fall of 2019 was a particular highlight, for the Wolves and for Zoe.
Led by an eight-pack of seniors, including the younger of the Trujillo sisters, CHS opened 7-0, went 13-2 in the regular season (losing only to state power King’s) and finished 14-5.
Narrowly missing out on a trip to state, those Wolves tied the program’s record for wins.
Some of the biggest moments, the ones which provided the most bang for the ticket buyer’s buck, came when Zoe elevated and smashed.
Zoe and Maddie Vondrak get down with their bad selves.
It was there, in those displays of crackling power and shimmering intensity, where she made the gym walls rock and mom Amy bounce happily in her seat.
Dad Craig spent a lot of his time toeing a line down on the floor, and, as a properly impartial linesman, had to pretend to be impassive when his younger daughter whistled a winner past his shoe.
It was only after the set or the match was complete, and he had returned to dad status up in the bleachers, that he beamed like a lightbulb powering up, glowing with the pride which his daughters brought out in him.
Zoe played a different position than Valen on the volleyball floor, the former an outside hitter, the latter a libero.
But both always carried themselves with a quiet grace, filled with a burning intensity, but always calm, composed, and attentive to the words of their coaches and the feelings of their teammates.
That carried over to the tennis court, where Zoe swatted her shots in a manner which, and stop me if you’ve heard this before — often looked effortless.
Zoe flicks a winner on a rainy spring afternoon.
She was a nimble player, mixing power with a nice touch, and advanced to districts as a young doubles player, before stepping away from the sport.
There was also a stint with the CHS track team as a sophomore, where she threw the javelin, competed in the long jump and triple jump, and ran in both the 200 and 4 x 100 relay.
While she never played basketball in high school, much like her older sister, Zoe showed promise on the hardwood during her middle school days.
But it was volleyball which lured her in, captivated her, and let her express herself best across six seasons in a Wolf uniform.
Through some of the biggest wins and toughest losses in program history, Zoe soared and delighted.
When she left the floor after her final prep match, she was taller, stronger, more confident, more polished than she had been when she first pulled on a Coupeville uniform.
But, from the earliest days as a middle school athlete to her senior swan song, one thing remained the same — Zoe was always, without fail, a class act.
Today, we’re revisiting her days as a Wolf, because we’re about to welcome her into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.
After this, you’ll find her hanging out up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.
Inducted for her talent, her temperament, her grace, her humility, and for her heart, Zoe joins Valen in our digital shrine — two sisters who worked their own magic, in their own way.
Each chose a path, accomplished great things along the way, and are now off to top those school-day achievements with success in the adult world.
Zoe never coasted on the value of her last name or on the talent she was born with.
She worked for everything, and she earned everything.
Even if she did made it look effortless.
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