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Posts Tagged ‘volleyball’

CMS spikers shine brightly

Posted in Middle School, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Raven Vick and fellow CMS volleyball coach Cris Matochi came away pleased with their team’s play Monday in Everett. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“This is the best game by far this season.”

Coupeville Middle School volleyball guru Cris Matochi was a happy guy as he, fellow coach Raven Vick, and their Coupeville Middle School spikers headed back from Everett Monday evening.

The Wolves had faced down private school power Northshore Christian Academy, coming away with an exciting win, a productive loss, and a lot of lessons learned.

Almost exactly the way Matochi and Vick planned it.

How the day played out:

 

Varsity:

“We decided when we stepped into the gym that we were leaving with a win, and the kids took the memo,” Matochi said.

Coupeville, getting contributions from everyone on the floor, swept NCA 25-18, 25-19, 15-8, raising its record to 3-2 on the season.

The Wolves used a very strong service attack to push the pace of the day, with Tenley Stuurmans being particularly effective.

The CMS 7th grader opened the first set with a six-point run, before going nuclear with a 15-point, 14-ace performance in set #2.

Stuurmans wasn’t the only Wolf firing on all cylinders, as Adeline Maynes fought through a migraine “to have a stellar performance, with great sets and strong passing.”

Matochi doled out praise across the board.

“Lexis (Drake) passed and served really well, while Haylee (Armstrong) had incredible passes and hits,” he said.

“Capri (Anter) had strong hits and good communication,” Matochi added. “This was the best we’ve seen Rylin (Price) play, and Capri and Addy had great coordination.”

 

JV:

The Wolf young guns fell 25-10, 25-18, 15-9, but had “by far the best ball control of the season,” according to Raven Vick.

“The volume of game was the best we’ve seen,” she added. “They did really well getting the first ball up and working to get all three touches.

“We struggled with serving but saw great improvement from all of the players.”

Vick noted 6th grader KeeAyra Brown was “a strong consistent player for us,” while Isabella Bowder and Myra McDonald also played well under pressure.

Coupeville’s energy goes through the roof when Olivia Martin is involved — “she’s a firecracker on and off the court” — with Alexis Hewitt, Willow Leedy-Bonifas, and Cheyanne Atteberry all playing strongly.

“It’s great to see Alexis improving on her serve and getting more playing time in that way,” Vick said.

“Overall, Willow was really consistent all around but specially with serves. Cheyanne is continually working hard and getting more and more serves in the court.

“I am extremely impressed with the playing ability and resilience they had.”

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Fight to be the top dog

Posted in standings, tagged , , , , , , on October 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Bryley Gilbert looks for an opening in the defense. (Morgan White photo)

George Spear (middle) pounds the trail. (Jackie Saia photo)

We’re heading towards the finish line.

There are still plenty of games to play, but having reached the midpoint of October, fall sports are definitely starting to wind down.

All five Coupeville High School teams are in action this coming week, with three squads at home.

Boys soccer gets to avoid any bus trips, hosting Providence Classical Christian Tuesday and Lopez Island Saturday.

Meanwhile, Wolf volleyball has a split schedule — at La Conner Tuesday, then home Thursday for Darrington — while football hosts La Conner under Friday Night Lights.

Coupeville’s other two active programs hit the road for their only competition of the week.

Girls soccer traipses to Granite Falls Tuesday, while cross country is off to Mount Vernon Thursday for the Northwest 2B/1B League Championships.

Where things stand through games of Oct. 15:

 

Northwest League boys soccer:

School League Overall
Orcas Island 5-0-0 9-1-0
Friday Harbor 4-1-0 7-2-0
Grace Academy 3-1-0 8-1-2
MV Christian 3-1-0 6-3-1
Coupeville 1-3-0 3-6-0
PC Christian 1-3-0 4-5-1
La Conner 1-4-0 3-9-1
Lopez Island 0-2-0 2-5-0
CPC-Lynnwood 0-3-0 0-8-0

 

Northwest League football:

School League Overall
Coupeville 2-0 5-1
Darrington 1-0 5-2
Friday Harbor 2-1 3-4
Concrete 0-1 0-6
La Conner 0-3 1-4

 

Northwest League girls soccer:

School League Overall
MV Christian 5-0-0 8-4-0
Friday Harbor 3-2-0 7-5-1
Coupeville 1-4-0 2-8-0
La Conner 0-3-0 0-10-0

 

Northwest League volleyball:

School League Overall
Coupeville 6-0 8-3
La Conner 5-0 9-1
MV Christian 6-2 10-2
Orcas Island 5-3 8-6
Darrington 3-5 7-5
Friday Harbor 1-8 2-8
Concrete 0-8 3-11

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Resilient Wolves rally past Neah Bay

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Madison McMillan (14) is on a roll. (Jackie Saia photo)

They have some major fight in them.

Missing the team’s top kill specialist, and playing a red-hot rival, the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball spikers rallied to pull out a four-set thriller Saturday.

Digging deep against a Neah Bay squad which entered play on a nine-match winning streak, the Wolves defended their home court, winning 23-25, 25-10, 25-22, 25-13.

The non-conference victory, coming in a match which was just recently added to the schedule, lifts CHS to 8-3 on the season.

Now winners of seven of their last eight, the Wolves have three regular season rumbles left.

Coupeville travels to La Conner Oct. 18 to face off with the three-time defending 2B state champs.

After that comes home tilts against Darrington Oct. 20 and La Conner Oct. 25, before a trip to the district playoffs.

Saturday’s showdown with Neah Bay replaced another home match lost to the scheduling shuffle and offered the Wolves a chance to face a top-notch, tough team.

The opening set showcased the visitors at their best, as the Red Devils made the Wolves scramble for every ball.

There were six ties in the first frame, the final at 23-23 after Coupeville rallied back from down 23-19.

Super sophomore Madison McMillan was key, crunching a laser from the side to collect Coupeville’s 20th point, before popping off three straight points on her serve.

Ryanne Knoblich knotted things at 23-23 with a superb kill, her body going one way and the ball the other, but Neah Bay proved resilient.

A gym-rattling spike from one of the Red Devil’s biggest hitters pushed her team back in front 24-23, and a Coupeville error on set point doomed the host squad.

That capped a first set which had more than its fair share of highlight reel-worthy plays, from Mia Farris spraying kills to Jill Prince getting artful with her tip game, freeze-framing her foes, then flicking the ball to paydirt.

Mia Farris is here to destroy you. (Jackie Saia photo)

Lyla Stuurmans, who was a wrecking ball unleashed at times, came up big at the service stripe, while numerous Wolves made often-stunning saves on balls which looked long gone.

Knoblich had a beautiful one-hander, while Alita Blouin, Taygin Jump, and Maddie Georges bounced off the floor and slid across the hardwood in pursuit of excellence.

If the first set was a nail-biter, the second frame was a blowout.

The Wolves bounded off the bench, seized control of things, and never relented, mixing in big service aces, inspired passing, and teeth-rattling kills to put Neah Bay down hard.

“It was good to see us shake off any hesitation and come out strong,” said Coupeville coach Cory Whitmore.

“Our defense was outstanding on the block, and our service game picked up,” he added. “Even when we weren’t getting aces, our serve set us up to win some easy points.”

Everyone on the floor was clicking, Stuurmans and Knoblich bringing the full fury at the net, while Georges popped from here to there, flicking passes high as she picked up some of her match-high 32 assists.

Set three opened with the afternoon’s best play, even if it ultimately didn’t count.

With the ball in the air on the opening serve, a Wolf player lost a shoe while scrambling, and McMillan promptly cleared the floor by sliding forward and kicking the wayward sneaker into the stands.

While Coupeville won the rally, and Farris snuck by to retrieve her missing footwear, the refs decided to replay the point, drawing a mix of (mild) boos and laughter.

With all of their shoelaces firmly tied, the Wolves led the set from start to finish, though Neah Bay never let the margin get too big.

The Red Devils actually held off two set points, cutting a 24-20 deficit to 24-22 before Blouin ended things, flipping a winner from mid-court which arced over the defense before slapping down, catching the backline as it landed.

While Neah Bay was talented and tough, it came out flat in the fourth set and the Wolves pounced, rolling out to an 18-6 lead in what would turn out to be the final frame.

Prince, Stuurmans, and Knoblich continued to light up the floor as a titanic trio, their kills getting more ferocious as the Red Devils begin to wilt.

Choose your poison. Jill Prince can beat you with a powerhouse kill, or an artful tip. (Jackie Saia photo)

Neah Bay had one last mini-rally to unleash, but even then, the Wolves methodically chipped away, climbing steadily towards their 98th and final point of the match.

It came from Prince, who hopped airborne, surveyed her surroundings, then, at the last possible second, angled a tip away from the Red Devils before returning to the surly bonds of Earth.

Ball hit court, and the celebration was ignited.

If you’re going to play on a Saturday, might as well win while you’re at it.

 

Saturday stats:

Alita Blouin — 10 digs, 2 assists, 2 aces
Mia Farris — 3 kills, 2 digs, 3 aces
Maddie Georges — 18 digs, 32 assists, 2 aces, 1 solo block, 1 block assist
Taygin Jump — 5 digs
Ryanne Knoblich — 11 kills, 12 digs, 1 ace
Madison McMillan — 5 kills, 20 digs, 2 aces
Jill Prince — 7 kills, 1 block assist
Lyla Stuurmans — 7 kills, 1 dig, 3 aces

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Another day, another triumph

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Issabel Johnson and the Wolf JV spikers are 10-1 after sweeping Neah Bay Saturday. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The victory express chugs on.

Racking up 25 service aces Saturday, the Coupeville High School JV volleyball team swept visiting Neah Bay off the floor, winning its eighth-straight match.

With the non-conference victory, the Wolf young guns soar to 10-1 on the season, best mark of any CHS fall sports team.

It was a competitive match, to be sure, but one which Coupeville largely controlled, coming out on top 25-23, 25-15, 25-19.

The first two sets played out to a similar tune — the Wolves jumped out to a large lead, the Red Devils rallied, then the Wolves put the hammer down.

Katie Marti got the day off to a strong start, peppering Neah Bay with nasty serves as she staked Coupeville to a quick 6-0 lead.

Teagan Calkins was a tipping machine, using her fingers to flick winners away from her rivals, while Jada Heaton smashed all the air out of the volleyball on a brutal kill as CHS pushed the margin to 13-5.

That seemed to light a fire under the feisty visitors, however, as they fought all the way back to force a tie at 18-18.

Bumping the intensity up just a notch or two, the Wolves broke the tie with five straight points, thanks to strong serving from Marti and a pair of big kills from Issabel Johnson — only to see Neah Bay respond with its own five-point tear.

Knotted at 23-23, the set could have gone either way, but the Red Devils kindly botched the next two points, allowing CHS coach Ashley Menges to exhale and call for a refill on her water from mom Jennifer.

Set two wasn’t as quite as collar-tightening, though it did have its escapades.

Marti again staked her squad to an early lead from the service stripe, this time at 5-0, before Neah Bay fought back to knot things at 10-10.

This time, Coupeville pulled away much faster, with Teagan Calkins, Heaton, and Johnson compiling sizzling runs on serve to pace a 15-5 finish.

Along the way, fab frosh Calkins, runnin’ and gunnin’ on the far side of the court, frequently went skyborne, bashing winners which scattered Neah Bay defenders in all directions.

With the match in hand, the third set was just for practice, but both squads took it quite seriously, continuing the back-and-forth battle.

While the Red Devils claimed the early lead, Coupeville snatched the advantage for good at 11-10 on another booming spike off of Johnson’s explosive fingertips.

Taylor Brotemarkle, spinning the ball and droppin’ aces, led the attack at the service line, while Marti ran off five straight points and Grier Mooney ended the match with a resounding ace down the middle of the floor.

Menges got strong work from all nine Wolves in uniform, with Carly Burt, Chloe Marzocca, and Aby Wood also aiding the stellar group effort.

 

Saturday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 5 digs, 1 assist, 5 aces
Teagan Calkins — 4 kills, 4 aces
Jada Heaton — 4 kills, 1 dig, 3 aces
Issabel Johnson — 4 kills, 6 aces
Katie Marti — 1 kill, 11 assists, 6 aces
Grier Mooney — 1 ace
Aby Wood — 2 kills

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Kill-happy Wolves crunch MVC

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Mia Farris was one of three Wolves to hammer 10 or more kills in a win Thursday night. (Jackie Saia photo)

The snipers were hitting their targets.

Three different players recorded 10+ kills Thursday night, with another two notching five apiece, as the Coupeville High School varsity volleyball squad surged to its sixth win in its last seven matches.

Bouncing back from a tentative start, the Wolf spikers unloaded on host Mount Vernon Christian to the tune of 23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-14.

With the victory, CHS moves to 6-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-3 overall.

The Wolves, who host non-conference foe Neah Bay Saturday, sit alone atop the NWL standings, a half-game up on three-time defending 2B state champs La Conner (5-0), and a game ahead of MVC (6-2).

Coupeville has three league matches left, travelling to La Conner Oct. 18, before closing with home matches Oct. 20 against Darrington (3-5) and Oct. 25 against La Conner.

Win, lose, or draw the rest of the way, the Wolves are playoff-bound after that. All that’s left to decide is the draw.

Of the three 2B schools in the NWL, two teams advance to the postseason and Friday Harbor (1-8) is eliminated.

The District 1/2 tourney is Nov. 2 in La Conner, with the #2 team from District 1 playing District 2’s Auburn Adventist Academy in a loser-out match.

The winner then faces off with the NWL champ in a winner-to-state, loser-out rumble.

The battle to unseat La Conner will become the primary mission in the coming days, but Thursday night was about holding off the Hurricanes, who have been on a torrid run.

Mission accomplished.

“A good win tonight against a much-improved Mt. Vernon Christian team,” said Coupeville coach Cory Whitmore.

“We knew they would be tough and I’m proud of the way the girls shook off a little bit of a flat first set and turned it on moving forward.

“The girls got rid of the hesitation on defense and returned to our unified culture and play.”

Coupeville misfired a bit at the service stripe in the early going, but successfully righted things.

“Took a bit to find a groove on serves but once we did, our defense was strong behind the block,” Whitmore said.

“Madison McMillan went on a run of serves in the fourth (set), which opened things up.”

With Grey Peabody (13 kills), Ryanne Knoblich (10), and Mia Farris (10) pounding the rock, Coupeville’s attack kept the Hurricanes on their toes.

“All our hitters hit positive on the attack and (setter) Maddie (Georges) did a great job keeping everyone involved but pushing points when needed,” Whitmore said.

“I was very happy with our passers, and it took stamina to finish the game strong on serve receive.”

“Dang! We’re good!!” (Jackie Saia photo)

 

Thursday stats:

Alita Blouin — 27 digs, 2 assists, 1 ace
Mia Farris — 10 kills, 1 dig, 1 solo block
Maddie Georges — 1 kill, 7 digs, 39 assists
Taygin Jump — 4 digs, 1 ace
Ryanne Knoblich — 10 kills, 8 digs, 3 aces
Katie Marti — 1 dig, 2 aces
Madison McMillan — 9 digs, 4 aces
Grey Peabody — 13 kills, 3 digs
Jill Prince — 5 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace
Lyla Stuurmans — 5 kills

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