WILSON EXTRA: Juniors in name only

FISHERSVILLE – The three juniors on Wilson Memorial’s volleyball team have one plan.

It’s simple and it’s the same as everyone else on the team — bring back the state title to Fishersville.

The trio of Danielle Dove, Noël Bartley and Trisha Bruce delivered knockout punches during the regular season, fitting in nicely with the likes of Kala Guy, Christine Coffield, Tiffany Crosby and the rest of the seniors. But even as they step forward, the younger Green Hornets will not take a bow just yet — the show for them just started, like it has for the rest of the squad.

The Hornets host Northumberland tonight at 7 p.m. in the Group A quarterfinals. A win over the Region A runners-up and the Hornets can pack their gym bags and take the bus ride to Richmond.

The magic had blossomed off the courts. Before the Green Hornets notched a 16-3 record, took the Shenandoah District title and swept the 2007 defending Group A champion Strasburg to win the Region B tourney, the squad had to gel as a unit.

It was not always cozy as the team met without the glare of the lights and before the first match went to print.

“It was a little uncomfortable in the beginning, coming in as a junior,” Dove said. “But we had a meeting. It was supposed to be only 15 minutes. It turned out to be like an hour. We’ve been close ever since, not just Noël and Trisha, but as a group. We are a family and we are like sisters.”

That gathering earlier in the season created a new atmosphere for the Hornets. It ended in laughs, friendships and wins on the court.

“We came together as one, and that brought the whole team together. It’s pretty crazy. Like, I’m really excited because I’m a junior,” Bruce said.

It was a sea of tie-dyed shirts at practice and Bartley was beaming like the rainbow of colors that dressed her and the rest of her team.

“It was a little rocky in the beginning. But we definitely became more of a team,” Bartley said. “All these girls are my best friends, they are the ones I tell all my problems to.

It rocks to go this far with them. We all are just connected.”

The three also want to seize the moment in their high school careers because next year could be more challenging.

“Next year we’re moving up to AA, so I don’t know how great we will be,” Bartley said. “It’s amazing. I hope we can make it to Richmond.”

The trip to Richmond, in Bartley’s words again: “It just rocks.”