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Posts Tagged ‘volleyball’

Head of the class!!

Posted in Girls Tennis, Happy birthday, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on March 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Payton Aparicio (John Fisken photos)

Payton Aparicio, doin’ work. (John Fisken photos)

Sydney’s little sister has become a star in her own right.

Coupeville High School sophomore Payton Aparicio, who celebrates a birthday today, has fully stepped out of the shadow cast by her successful big sis, more than making a name for herself in the sports world.

A two-sport star (volleyball and tennis) who still has time to return to basketball and make it three (you never know), Payton is one of the true bright lights in Wolf Nation.

She tore up the tennis court as just a freshman, teaming with fellow 9th grader Sage Renninger to play #1 doubles, and play it well.

Now, with a season of experience under their belts, they seem on the verge of having a truly huge breakout season this spring.

If Aparicio sets the tennis world on fire, it will be the second time she’s captured the spotlight this school year.

In the fall, she made the jump from playing JV volleyball as a frosh to being a varsity sensation as a sophomore.

When the stats were added up at the end of the season, Aparicio was one of three Wolves to appear in 10 of 11 categories, cracking the top four in a startling seven categories.

She was second on the team in serving percentage and service points won, third in kill percentage, hitting percentage and service returns and fourth in kills and digs.

Fueled by Aparicio and a roster full of fellow young guns, Coupeville surged from one win the season before to six in 2015, including a playoff victory against Seattle Christian.

Watching Payton fly around the court, two things were obvious.

One, she is a talented athlete (who hails from impressive athletic bloodlines), and, as her confidence continues to grow, I fully expect Aparicio to soar even higher.

And two, she truly lights up the gym and the world around it.

Payton comes across as a thoughtful, smart young woman who has a deep love for her large extended family, both blood relatives and teammates.

As she hits her cake day today, just a few days away from the start of a new tennis season, we want to take a quick moment to wish her the best.

Happy birthday, Miss Aparicio. May it sparkle like you do.

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One family, two stars!!

Posted in Happy birthday, tagged , , , , , , on March 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Birthday twins Lindsey Laxton and Nicole Lester. (Photos by Amy King and John Fisken)

Birthday twins Lindsey Laxton and Nicole Lester. (Photos by Amy King and John Fisken)

Sister, my sister.

Two of Coupeville High School’s brightest young athletic stars, twin terrors Nicole Lester and Lindsey Laxton, celebrate a joint birthday today.

In their short time at the high school, both have dove right in, playing two sports in the first two seasons.

Lindsey was a member of the Wolf girls’ soccer squad in the fall, while Nicole dropped spikes with the volleyball team.

Then, both teamed back up to play for Amy King on the Coupeville JV girls’ basketball team, where they were part of a fun-loving, exciting group of players on the rise.

While both sisters have their own personalities, they do share some characteristics.

Lindsey and Nicole come across as friendly, enthusiastic young women who show great love for their family, who could often be seen at their games.

As we head into spring, the duo have the chance to join a rare club, as three-sport athletes.

I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish, both on and off the field, as they move through their days here in Coupeville.

They have bright futures, as sunny as their personalities, and they are welcome additions to Wolf Nation.

Happy birthday, ladies. I hope it’s a great one!

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The lil’ sis is a star, too!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Happy birthday, tagged , , , , on February 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Ashleigh Battaglia (John Fisken photo)

   Ashleigh Battaglia, who finished with six points on opening night last Thursday, looks for an opening in the defense. (John Fisken photos)

Battaglia

Battaglia flies after a runaway volleyball.

We’re going to do a first today.

We’re swinging down to the middle school level to pay tribute to one of the best and brightest at CMS as she celebrates a birthday.

Ashleigh Battaglia, lil’ sis of CHS football star Chris, beats her brother by a few days (his cake day is coming up in a week or so), so she gets the spotlight first.

Much like her brother, she plays a lot of sports and plays them all well.

At CMS Ashleigh has suited up in every season, whether playing volleyball, basketball (where she kicked off a new season with a strong opening game against Chimacum) or track and field.

Last year she was the sort of indispensable jack of all trades a track coach loves, competing in seven different events during her season.

Want someone to run the sprints, throw the shot put or discus, launch herself in the long jump or take a leg on a relay?

Ashleigh answered the call every time, always with a beaming smile.

From what I’ve seen over the past year and a half, Battaglia seems like a genuine bright spot for Wolf athletics.

A hard worker, a good teammate and a warrior who is not afraid to get in the thick of things and battle.

I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the years ahead, and I already know Coupeville is lucky to have Ashleigh and her family, who have always struck me as a genuinely nice bunch.

Happy birthday, Miss Battaglia! I hope you have a great cake day.

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Why, Wyman, why, do you say bye, bye?!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on February 12, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Heidi Wyman (John Fisken photo)

Heidi Wyman, quick with a smile. (John Fisken photo)

Well, at least we had her for one season.

With family dynamics set to change next year, Coupeville High School JV volleyball coach Heidi Wyman has departed the job to stay closer to home.

She’ll still be coaching spikers, but, for now, just as a select team coach with the Whidbey Fury.

So, she’ll still see CHS varsity coach Breanne Smedley, who also works with the Fury, and a number of the Wolf players.

“We went into it knowing it (high school coaching) was a one-year deal,” Smedley said. “Her daughter is going to be a freshman playing volleyball at Oak Harbor High School next year.

“We will still work very closely and wish there would be a way for her to continue at CHS.”

Wyman, who replaced Amy King when she had to reduce her coaching positions to focus more time on her real-world job, had a successful season at the helm of the younger players.

Under her leadership the Wolf JV went 7-4 overall and 5-0 against 1A Olympic League rivals.

The seven wins were the most by any Coupeville fall sports team, boy or girl, varsity or JV.

Also, like King, Wyman was top-drawer with delivering quotes and stats, was super friendly and was well liked by her players.

The school is currently taking applications for the position.

Whomever gets the job better come prepared, because the last two JV coaches have left big shoes to fill.

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Rumors are true! She’s pretty awesome!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Happy birthday, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on February 11, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Tiffany Briscoe: kinda awesome. (Photos by John Fisken)

   Tiffany Briscoe: reported to be slightly awesome. (Photos by John Fisken, Amy King and Amy Briscoe)

A young, already irrepressible Tiffany (right) with lil' sis Kyla. (Photo courtesy Amy Briscoe)

   A young, already irrepressible Tiffany (right) with lil’ sis Kyla. (Photo courtesy Amy Briscoe)

It’s always nice to see someone grow, come out of their shell and start to find their way in the world, both as an athlete and a person.

But, I’ll admit, it means more when that someone is a person who you’ve actually known since they were a young child.

Coupeville High School junior Tiffany Briscoe, who celebrates a birthday today, is now, has always been, and always will be, one of my favorites.

From her days as a lil’ blond ball of energy busting through the video store aisles with younger sister Kyla, to today, when she’s a three-sport star for the Wolves, she has been a slice of pure 110% awesomeness.

From everything I’ve seen, Tiff is a fiercely loyal big sis, both to Kyla and friends and teammates she adopts as part of her large, extended family.

She will cut a girl (or at least whack them upside the head, pinch them every time they stray into the paint or knock them into the third row of the bleachers if necessary) to defend her turf, her team, her family.

Which is amazing, frankly, cause off the field of battle, you could hardly find a more genuinely nice person.

It’s a beautiful combo — Beast Mode on the court, then a serene, supremely kind, smart, determined, little shy (until you know her) young woman with a future as bright as her smile.

Pick a sport — volleyball, basketball or softball — and Briscoe is out there, busting her tail, through rough losses and huge wins.

I hope in the remaining high school (and maybe college?) athletic seasons she has left that she gets a lot of joy out of the experience.

But you know what?

She could walk away today and never play another moment (well, not today … the basketball playoffs are about to start) and it wouldn’t change my opinion of her.

Being an athlete is a key part of her persona, but it is just a small fraction of what makes Tiffany such an amazing young woman.

So happy birthday, Miss Briscoe, and try not to let it go to your head (I’m not really worried) when I tell you we all think you’re pretty freakin’ awesome.

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