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Though sidelined all fall by the COVID-19 pandemic, La Conner High’s two-time defending state title volleyball team has still been able to show its championship mettle.

Team members have served up two major public service projects in response to the virus crisis, designing and creating custom La Conner Braves face coverings benefitting the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation and delivering holiday goodie bags to La Conner Retirement Inn.

The team has also shared a Zoom Christmas card with the La Conner Middle and High School staff.

“It’s great to see our girls giving back to the community,” head coach Suzanne Marble told the Weekly News on Monday.

As one would expect, it has been a team effort.

Debbie Farnes, the mother of assistant coach Pam Keller, made the blue-and-white face masks. The school logos they bear were applied by junior starter Emma Keller.

“Debbie donated her time and materials to our program,” said Marble, who added that a portion of the proceeds from sales of the masks – which have proved to be stylish pandemic accessories around town – were donated to the Hospital Foundation.

Under normal circumstances, the Foundation would have been the prime beneficiary of the La Conner team’s Dig Pink home match in October.

“Our team was hopeful this summer that we would be having a modified season of some sort this fall so we started our fundraising by making La Conner masks,” Marble said.

As October neared, however, it was apparent there would be no Dig Pink Night at Landy James Gym in 2020.

“With the hopes of a season fading,” said Marble, “we knew we would not be having our annual Dig Pink Night, so we used some of the mask money as a donation to the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation to aid in preventative care for women’s health.

“It wasn’t our usual donation,” Marble said, “but the foundation was thrilled with the donation, especially during this time.”

The team didn’t stop there.

“We decided in early December that we wanted to do something for our retirement community,” Marble explained.

A plan was developed to present goodie bags and a card at the retirement inn. Players Katie Watkins, Anna Jane Thulen, Ellie Marble, Maya Masonholder and Keller were greeted outside by staff members who received the gifts on behalf of the residents.

The team took great pleasure in almost literally getting the ball rolling on that score, Marble said.

“We live in such an amazing, special, and unique community that – no matter what – we have always been made to feel appreciated,” said Marble. “I strongly urge our players to give back as often as they can and not look at it as community service, but rather a way of life.”

Perennially among the elite high school net teams in Washington state, La Conner players are used to receiving accolades and hearing cheering crowds. They hope that can again be the case with a salvaged volleyball season in the spring.

Yet when it comes to serving their town and community, they gladly do so without fanfare.

“The great thing,” Marble said, “is that our players aren’t looking for any recognition. They just want the opportunity to make others happy.”