Two experienced varsity players, only one of them a senior, and nine freshmen on a 20-player roster could present a problem to any coach.

Those are the situations, along with five varsity players who graduated and three who moved out of the district, facing coach Toni Crebbin and the Coupeville volleyball team at the start of the 2007 season.

In her seventh year as head coach, Crebben is upbeat despite the challenges and is pleased how the team has responded in the face of adversity.

“The team is really positive and really enthusiastic,” Crebbin said. “The players who have been in the program have picked the leadership. They are all having a good time.”

Last year the Wolves were 4-10 in Cascade League games and 5-12 overall, and lost to Meridian in the first round of the crossover playoffs.

The only returning senior is Hayley Ebersole, who is coming off knee surgery for an injury sustained during the basketball season.

The other player with varsity experience is junior Nikki Griffin.

After that, things are up in the air about who will round out the 10-player varsity roster.

Crebbin said she is planning on juniors Megan Monroe and Emily Marti being varsity players, along with sophomore Julie Huddleston.

“Emily is a very good defensive player and passer, and it’s all about hustle with Julie. I like that,” Crebbin said.

Crebbin said some of the freshmen players could work their way up to the varsity team.

“The last two years I have had two very good middle school volleyball coaches,” she said. “You see that in the freshmen and sophomore players. They are coming up knowing the game and already have a love of the game.”

King’s High School is expected to once again be the team to beat in the Cascade League.

“They have a lot of their players back and finished fifth in the state in class 1A last year,” Crebbin said. “Archbishop Murphy’s coach retired and they graduated a lot of girls, but they had 45 girls out last year and many of them played club volleyball so they will also be strong.”

Crebbin said she doesn’t have any preconceived ideas about what the girls can do. “I think this is going to be a season of surprises and I hope they are good ones,” she said.