'Our time'

In the wake of what coach Carly Curtis dubbed the “Tournament of Death,” some extra life may have been breathed into the Coeur d’Alene Vikings volleyball team.

On a mid-September day in which they played five matches at the SunDome Volleyball Festival in Yakima, the Vikings lost senior middle blocker Lili Hare to a sprained ankle, and junior outside hitter Sarah Wilkey to a concussion.

Those are the kinds of injuries that can derail a promising season. Just last year, an injury to a key player hampered a talented Coeur d’Alene squad.

But this year has been different.

“When Sarah had her concussion, we’re like, ‘Gosh, who are we going to put out there?’” Curtis said.

Turns out, the answer was senior Taylin Rowley, a setter/right side hitter in the Vikings’ 6-2 offense.

“I went into this year knowing, as a senior captain, I needed to do whatever it took to win,” Rowley said. “And for our team to win this year, it was me hitting outside, and letting Courtney (Garwood) and Lauren (Phillips) set. ... The coaches and I talked about, we needed another big arm on the outside, and that just happened to be me.”

Rowley has been an outside hitter ever since for Coeur d’Alene (23-5), which won its first 5A Region 1 title since 2015, and is headed to state this week for just the second time since then. The state 5A tourney is at Post Falls High, and the Vikings open Friday at 11 a.m. vs. Timberline of Boise.

“Tay’s always been a good hitter,” Curtis said, “and I was like, ‘Hey, would you be willing ... and she says yeah. And she’s had so much success out there, she loves it. She knows it’s what the team needs. She bought into it, and she’s doing a great job.”

“Even her college coach (at NAIA Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where Rowley has verbally committed), is noticing ... ‘Hey, maybe I need to run a 6-2 with her.’ And he actually said that to her. He was going to have her come in and (set) a 5-1. Now he knows how great of a hitter she is.”

Both Hare and Wilkey recently returned to the lineup, so the Vikings are at about as full strength as they can be, though Wilkey has played mostly in the back row since returning.

Hare was injured when she went up for a block, and came down on a teammate’s foot.

“It was actually one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with,” said Hare, who has verbally committed to play at North Idaho College next season. “As a senior, it was very difficult to watch them play. It was definitely a struggle (coming back). I had to work harder to get back, but now that I’m back, it’s a good time. I’m very happy.”

So is Elly Schraeder.

The 6-foot-2 senior middle blocker missed most of last season due to injuries. She played in just two matches, because of a stress fracture and tendinitis in her Achilles.

“For the whole preseason in August, I had a torn tendon on the top of my right foot, so I was in a boot,” Schraeder said. “So then I came back for two weeks before I got the stress fracture in my left foot.”

This year, she’s been a force in the middle, and an emotional leader.

“Having Elly this year is definitely a big, big thing,” Rowley said.

“When she gets a block on somebody, they get a little nervous after that,” Curtis said. “She’s been a part of that positive, happy-go-lucky spirit.”

Fortunately for the Vikings, they are deep as well as talented.

Phillips, a junior setter/right side hitter, has verbally committed to NCAA Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.

Garwood, a junior and daughter of Timberlake High volleyball coach Michelle Garwood, set some at the beginning of the season, as Curtis rotated in all three setters in the early portion of the season. Now, it’s Phillips and Garwood setting a 6-2.

“I was a little stressed (after the injuries), but luckily we had some great kids on the bench that stepped it up,” Curtis said. “Madi Symons (a freshman) stepped in the middle and played great while Lili was out, she played great outside while Sarah was out.”

Last year, in their first trip to state since 2015, the Vikings went 1-2 and tied for fifth — one match away from a trophy. Curtis admitted that team was more one-dimensional. This year’s squad is balanced — they can hit well all across the net, and their passing, led by junior Maggie Bloom, is superb.

This year, the team’s motto has been, “Our time,” Curtis said.

“This group this year has really battled for each other, and that’s why we’re successful,” she said.

“I was so determined (to come back),” Schraeder said. “I wanted to show everybody what we could do. Last year everyone had such big hopes for us, but we didn’t go very far — we went to state, but we didn’t place very high at state. This year we won districts, and last year we had to compete for that bid .... it’s a great feeling to come back and win.”

Players and coaches rave about the team chemistry this season.

“It’s the heart we have,” Rowley said. “All the teams have skill, but it’s our want-to win.”

“What I love about Lili is when somebody gets a kill, or she gets a kill, she gets so excited; she just brings up the spirit of the team,” Curtis said.

And as for the Vikings overcoming those early season injuries ...

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?” Rowley said.