Feeling the sting

STUARTS DRAFT – Wilson Memorial had a hard-fought win Monday over Stuarts Draft in five games, winning 21-25, 25-11, 25-19, 13-25 and 15-11.
The Hornets came out sluggish in the start, but continuously seesawed against the Cougars and held their own. Wilson leader Kala Guy’s wrist injury kept her out of play last week and had her cautious going up against Draft powerhouses Kamron Johnson and Callie Updike.
“We had a slow start, we usually come out really strong,” said Wilson Memorial coach Kim Claytor. “Kala didn’t play last week and was kind of tentative today.”
The Cougars started to take off midway into the first game with kills from Updike and Johnson, all assisted by Erin Brown, but the Hornets weren’t going to give up.
“We came out like we should have,” said Stuarts Draft coach Kami Meeteer.
Wilson fought its way back with a seven point unanswered run with help from Guy’s two aces and kills from Jessica Arbogast. Two kills from Christine Coffield tied the game up at 19, but the Hornets’ mental game got in the way of their win. Net shots and long serves were the killer for Wilson, along with spikes from Johnson.
“I told the girls to calm down, relax and play their game,” Claytor said. “We have a habit of making not-so-smart decisions with the ball.”
The Hornets took the first game and put it out of their minds. Games 2 and 3 were all about fun for the Hornets, as they destroyed the Cougars with smiles on their faces.
“I’ve told the girls from day one that if you can’t have fun first, then you shouldn’t be playing,” Claytor said.
Wilson controlled every part of the game in the second and third, running away with both early on.
“This is a mental game and you have to be consistent and make yourself play all the time,” Meeteer said. “We made a few mental mistakes but Wilson is a good team and they’re going to get their points.”
Draft came back to win Game 4 in a five consecutive point run, sticking Wilson at low digits.
Game 5 played out with the lead going back and forth between teams until the Hornets ran away with it, a hard kill from Guy, another kill from Coffield and an ace to end it.
“I love our non-district schedule,” Claytor said. “Our defense in the last three games has improved tremendously.”
Wilson’s Guy had 26 blocks, 10 digs and 16 kills; Noel Bartley had 24 blocks, 18 digs, and 8 kills; Coffield had 13 digs and assists.
Draft’s Brown had 31 assists and 15 service points, Caroline Campbell and Aliya Stevenson each had 12 digs and Johnson had 16 kills and one block.
Wilson (5-1) heads to Waynesboro on Thursday and Draft (4-4, 2-0) goes to Riverheads tomorrow.