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Suzanne Marble
Simply Marbleous.
That was the vibe in Mount Vernon last week when fans from near and far and across time gathered to watch La Conner High volleyball coach Suzanne Marble record her 500th career win with a program she has guided to four state titles, the most recent last November.
La Conner’s straight-sets triumph at Mount Vernon Christian resembled many of the preceding 499 victories under Marble’s watch, a journey that began here in 1993.
The Lady Braves served at a 94 per cent clip, won two of three sets by double digits and had a handful of players fill the stat sheet.
One of those was the coach’s daughter, freshman Ellie Marble, who finished with 22 kills and 10 digs.
“It was a great night of volleyball and celebration,” said Coach Marble, who tried deflecting attention from herself, said afterward. “The girls played great and everyone on the team contributed and the girls played to their potential.”
That formula was very familiar to those in attendance, a festive crowd that included many of Marble’s former players and their parents, community members and past La Conner Schools administrators under whom she worked.
Among those offering congratulations were former La Conner Schools Superintendent Dr. Tim Bruce, retired La Conner teacher, counselor and principal Maureen Harlan, and former curriculum and athletics director and interim superintendent Peg Seeling.
“Five hundred is a big number,” said Marble, “but it truly isn’t about the wins, but the relationships, community and volleyball culture for us.”
That is underscored in the fact Marble has resisted opportunities to teach and coach at larger schools.
“The great thing about a school our size,” she told the Weekly News last year, “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.”
For much of her La Conner tenure Marble has developed winning teams alongside longtime assistant Pam Keller, whom she singled out for praise amid the festivities at MVC’s DeKok Court.
“Pam,” Marble stressed, “is a huge factor in our program’s success and we’re so fortunate to have her.”
That success is reflected not only in the four State championships (2002, 2006, 2007, 2018) and bevy of other La Conner High State tourney placement trophies, but also in Marble’s induction into the Washington coaches Hall of Fame four years ago and her status as the reigning State 2B Tournament Coach of the Year.
Marble, who grew up in Spokane and attended college in coastal California, arrived in La Conner at a time when the school’s volleyball program was beginning to make its mark.
She took it to another level.
A level that even La Conner’s league rivals fully appreciate.
After the Lady Braves defeated Mount Vernon Christian, the host school’s public address announcer informed fans of Marble’s milestone achievement.
“Mount Vernon Christian,” said Marble, “was very gracious and showed incredible sportsmanship to announce the 500th win and then let us have a celebration.”
All enjoyed the moment, though just for a moment. A couple nights later, on Thursday, it was back to business for Marble and her charges.
La Conner remained unbeaten in conference play with a convincing 3-0 sweep of Friday Harbor.
Once again, the Lady Braves mentor had good words for both her players and the opponent.
“It was a good night,” she said, “for us to get a lot of different looks at some things.
“Friday Harbor,” Marble added, “is a young team with a new coaching staff. Their enthusiasm was impressive.”
Equally impressive, for Marble personally, is it was win 501 – and counting.
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