Toni Crebbin, Coupeville High School volleyball coach, said her 2011 squad is “not a team of ‘stars,’ so as a team we have raised the bar.”

This team-first attitude is one of Coupeville’s strengths, according to Crebbin, which will compensate for the loss of the player with the most wattage, junior Jessica Riddle, who moved to Anacortes.

Riddle earned first- and second-team all-league honors the past two seasons.

Crebbin also sees defense as a team strength: “We have several quick, relentless girls.”

Additionally, she said, “We are going to be a strong passing team.”

The Wolves welcome back five letter winners, including four-year varsity member senior Katie Smith, who was named the team’s best offensive player in 2010, and senior Chelsea Hudgins, who earned top defensive player honors.

They will be joined by letter winners seniors Taya Boonstra and Alexis Trumbull and junior Bessie Walstad.

Crebbin said Walstad “improved tremendously” and Boonstra “is looking good” and taking over the setting duties.

Key newcomers, according to Crebbin, are juniors Madison Tisa and Makenna Martyn and freshman Hailey Hammer.

Tisa, Crebbin said, should “see a lot of playing time because of her quickness and strong passing,” and Hammer “shows a lot of promise.”

Martyn is currently injured and will provide some offensive pop when she returns.

Crebbin expects King’s and Archbishop Murphy to be the class of the Cascade Conference, and that the Wolves will be competitive as the remainder of the league is “fairly evenly matched.”

The team’s focus, Crebbin said, is to “leave practice better than you came,” and that should help overcome the team’s inexperience of playing together as a unit.

The Wolves, 5-11 (4-10 in league) in 2010, will take part in the Oak Harbor Jamboree Saturday, Sept. 3, at 9 a.m. Their first home match is Thursday, Sept. 15, with King’s at 7 p.m.