Senior Olivia McKinstry, left, Head Coach Stephanie Ellsworth and junior Isabell McKinney assemble the new net kindly donated by SNAP Fitness ahead of the Ilwaco High School volleyball season. The team is gearing up to begin the season with road games against Willapa Valley and Wahkiakum. The more mature players are being given a mentorship role to help instill skills and positive competitive values in underclassmen.

When Ilwaco volleyball player Mya Cunningham arrived at practice this fall, she discovered one of the nets was torn and grungy.

The enthusiastic sophomore had an idea. Her parents, Robert and Katie Cunningham, own SNAP Fitness in Long Beach and they gifted a new net.

“We heard there was a need and we were happy to help,” Robert Cunningham said.

The donated equipment delighted Head Coach Stephanie Ellsworth. The first item of business at a recent practice was unrolling the tightly wound net and putting it up.

It came with an over-complicated instruction sheet. But up stepped seniors Olivia McKinstry and Julianna Fleming to sort it out, with an able assist from junior Isabell McKinney.

Practice begins

Practice followed, with a lengthy series of stretches and conditioning drills, players racing around the high school gym even before a single volleyball was struck.

Pull Quote

‘I like being a leader and helping.’

Julianna Fleming

IHS senior volleyball player

Ellsworth, a former volleyball official, is in her third season coaching the Fishermen, having been hired at short notice for a covid-delayed shortened spring season and then the first full season last fall.

And she knows that McKinstry and Fleming, powerful athletes playing their final seasons in Ilwaco colors, will form the core of her squad.

They and other experienced student-athletes, like fellow seniors Keira Roush and Justyce Patana, will be asked to play more significant roles, too.

“We plan to utilize our seniors this year a little differently, by placing them in more of a mentor-leadership-coaching role to help build their abilities as leaders as well as help them be more approachable to the younger players,” the coach said.

Stepping up

That’s just fine for the students taking on that responsibility.

“I am excited,” said Fleming, who is a leader on the basketball court, too. “It is fun playing next to Olivia,” she added, noting they bring complementary skills to the court.

Ilwaco struggled last season. Ellsworth conceded that the Fishermen had trouble filling key positions with experienced players.

Fleming is determined to play her role in improvements. “We didn’t have the best season last year,” the senior said, eager to begin mentoring younger players. “I like being a leader and helping. It will be a fun season.”

McKinstry echoed her teammate’s zeal. “I am excited returning with this group,” she said, also happy to formalize the mentoring. “We have the experience and know what we are doing.”

As well as losing last season’s seniors, Ellsworth will be without her right-hand assistant Lanie Kary, whose positive contribution had many facets.

New JV coach

But Ellsworth is enthused. “Very excited to get started. It is always fun to see a new group of kids come in and to work the returning players to see how they have progressed,” she said. “We have a new JV coach this year that will bring a lot to the team.”

The newcomer is Molly Bond, who played volleyball at Highline College. Her expertise is as a setter, a position central to the alchemy for success on the court.

“It’s just like building a foundation, you have to teach how to use your hands and all the techniques,” Bond said, then added with a grin, “Not everybody is going to be there setting!”

Ilwaco opens with road trips to 1B Willapa Valley Sept. 6 then Wahkiakum Sept. 9 before the first home game against South Bend Sept. 13. Two days later, the Fishermen will host Raymond.

The Seagulls placed fourth at 2B state last year, but lost some significant seniors to graduation in June.

“Raymond is always a strong opponent. It will be interesting now that they have a new coach, but they looked strong this summer,” Ellsworth said.

At a recent practice, Bond and Kristina Salas, Ilwaco’s hard-working middle school coach, kept momentum going as Ellsworth worked on the big picture.

And Cunningham, who enjoyed stellar success in her freshman track season last spring, was right in the action. Her T-shirt said it all: “Nothing beats commitment.”

Ilwaco 2022 Volleyball Schedule

Sept. 6. Willapa Valley (a)

Sept. 9. Wahkiakum (a)

Sept. 13. South Bend (h)

Sept. 15. Raymond (h)

Sept. 20. Forks (a)

Sept. 22. NW Christian (h)

Sept. 24. Raymond Tourney (a)

Sept. 27. Ocosta (a)

Sept. 29. Chief Leshi (h)

Oct. 4. North Beach (a)

Oct. 6. South Bend (a)

Oct. 11. Raymond (a)

Oct. 13. Forks (h)

Oct. 15. Adna Tourney (a)

Oct. 18. NW Christian, Lacey (a)

Oct. 20. Ocosta (h)

Oct. 24. Chief Leschi, Puyallup (a)

Oct. 26. North Beach (h)

JV 5:45 p.m., varsity 7 p.m.