Suzanne Marble and her 2018 state championship volleyball team were recognized once again Monday, this time on their home court by the La Conner School District Board of Directors at the board’s monthly meeting.

Recognized first was Senior Matty Lagerwey, who won a trifecta, garnering Class 2B State Tournament MVP, Skagit County’s MVP and her league’s, the NW2B, Most Valuable Player.

Joining her on the All-NW2B first team were juniors Justine Benson, Joanie Benson, and Morgan Herrera. Honored for being named to the league’s second team was freshman Rachel Cram. Katie Watkins, a sophomore, and freshman Emma Keller received league honorable mention. The entire team shared high fives with Superintendent Whitney Meissner and board members as they left the room to applause.

Football and soccer team players making all leagues also had their names read out loud.

Marble has been named the 2018 State 2B Tournament Coach of the Year.

For Marble, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Consider the La Conner High volleyball program. The Lady Braves are again celebrating a state championship, just as they did in 2002, 2006 and 2007.

Yet for La Conner head coach Suzanne Marble, who has guided the team since 1993, each year is special in its own right. Even those seasons that don’t end with a State title.

For Marble, it’s just as much about building lasting relationships with players, assistant coaches, and statisticians – and preparing each for life’s many tests ahead – as it is about winning.

The shared experience and memories of long hours in the gym, where the mantra that perfect practice makes perfect play is embraced daily, regularly brings former players back after graduation to reflect on how La Conner volleyball has impacted their lives.

“Those are the best moments,” says Marble. “A lot of them still have a total passion for the game and the La Conner program.”

That was borne out by the flood of text messages and phone calls Marble received after the Lady Braves defeated Mossyrock in the 2018 State finale.

There’s a family atmosphere around La Conner volleyball on several levels.

Assistant coach Pam Keller’s daughter Emma was a key member of this year’s team. Aly Sehlin, whose serving helped clinched the 2002 title match, is also part of the program’s coaching staff.

Megan Masonholder, whose daughter Maya is a sophomore defensive specialist for the Lady Braves, is a former La Conner High assistant coach. Longtime stat keeper Megan Lisser, who can recite much of the history of La Conner high volleyball, was at courtside again this year as the team posted an unblemished ledger.

This marked the 24th straight trip to the State Tournament for Marble and the Lady Braves. In addition to the four state crowns, La Conner has placed second five times and finished third on two other occasions.

Her clubs have also returned from State with a handful of fourth through eighth place hardware.

Marble has compiled a career mark of 493-93 at La Conner and has never really felt the itch to move on to a bigger school.

“The great thing about a school our size,” she explains, “is you’re always building upon what you have. At a big school they might cut 70 kids or more. Here, with our smaller enrollment, you have the opportunity to help all players develop their skills.”

Among those are coping skills. Part of Marble’s mission is to teach players how to best face challenges and deal with adversity.

“Year after year,” says Marble, “we have high expectations and strive for consistency.”

In those areas, Marble leads by example.

In 2015, following a silver medal finish at Yakima, Marble was inducted into the Washington State Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was named Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Coaches.

Her most recent honor was being named the 2018 State 2B Tournament Coach of the Year.

Marble finds herself much in demand as an instructional and motivational speaker, often invited to address various sports clinics.

Her message at those events isn’t limited to wins and losses. Instead, she focuses on personal growth, frequently referring to an anonymous quote that Marble says ranks as her favorite saying, one that stresses how sports can allow one to immediately erase a prior error.

“One thing sports has taught me,” reads the quote, “is that I can make a mistake one minute, shake it off, and be brilliant the next.”

Marble, who attended Mead High in Spokane and Westmont College in Santa Barbara, has enjoyed a brilliant run in La Conner, having arrived at a time when the Lady Braves had tasted success, though not on a year-in, year-out basis.

“Back then,” Marble recalls, “our goal was to make it to State. After that it was to make it to the trophy round.”

Those goals were achieved and continue to be met a quarter century later.