Home sweet home.
Playing its first home postseason match since 2004, the Coupeville High School volleyball team ripped Seattle Christian 3-1 Tuesday, Nov. 3, to advance to the West Central District 3 1A tournament.
It was also a record-setting evening for the Wolves.
After firing 28 aces against Seattle Christian, Coupeville upped its total to 220 this season, topping the old mark of 201 set in 2004.
Junior captain Valen Trujillo set a new school career digs record by registering 11 against the Warriors and pushing her total to 349. Jessica Riddle produced 342 in her two years (2009-10) at Coupeville High School before transferring to Anacortes.
The win over Seattle Christian sets up a 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, match at Puyallup’s Seattle Christian (11-4). The loser will be eliminated from the district playoffs; the winner will move on with three other teams to the double-elimination portion of the tournament beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Tacoma’s Charles Wright Academy.
The two survivors will qualify for the state tournament.
The winner of the Coupeville-Cascade Christian match faces Klahowya (9-6) at 10 a.m.
Coupeville defeated Seattle Christian 25-18, 25-27, 25-18, 25-20.
The Warriors jumped to a 5-3 lead in the first set, then Coupeville went on a 5-1 run to begin to pull away.
The Wolves continued to control the match as they scooted to leads of 13-7 and 16-11 in the second game, but Seattle Christian got on a roll and outscored Coupeville 15-4 to go up 24-20.
A pair of aces from Lauren Rose helped the Wolves knot the score at 24-24, but the Warriors recovered to snare the win 27-25.
Not fazed, the Wolves blitzed the Warriors in the third set, going up 20-9.
The Warriors started quickly in the fourth game, leading 5-0.
With Hope Lodell serving three aces and Katrina McGranahan adding a kill, Coupeville took the lead 6-5.
The middle of the match was close, although the Warriors built several three-point leads, the last at 18-15.
Coupeville finished on a 10-2 run to wrap up the district berth. McGranahan had two kills and two aces during the final surge.
After the second-set loss, Coupeville remained confident, coach Breanne Smedley said.
“They bounced back just fine,” she said. “In the huddle between the second and third sets, the kids were saying things like ‘we will win.’”
Confidence has been an issue this year, Smedley said. “They are realizing they can do this,” she said. “They are good volleyball players when they choose to be.”
Coupeville highlights: Lodell, five aces, five digs; Trujillo, five aces, 11 digs; Ally Roberts, five kills; Sydney Autio, 13 assists; Payton Aparicio, five kills, five aces; Rose, six aces, 97 percent service success; McGranahan, six kills, two blocks; Emma Smith, six kills, two blocks.
(Top: Katrina McGranahan attempts to block a Seattle Christian hit. Below: Sydney Autio pops a serve. Photos by Jim Waller.)
