WILSON EXTRA: Band of sisters

FISHERSVILLE
They could not be stopped. The seven seniors on Wilson Memorial’s volleyball team have been a force in the Shenandoah District and are ready for the big show.

They played with grit and tenacity. These were the girls that helped blow away defending Group A champion Strasburg on Saturday in three games for the Region B championship and will try to beat the Rams again tonight in the Group A semifinals.

The group of Kala Guy, Christine Coffield, Tiffany Crosby, Jessica Arbogast, Julia Aronson, Megan Jeffers and Taijha Jones is making its last season a memorable one.

They could be called the luckiest seven to come under the gym lights since 2001 — the last time Wilson made it to the Group A state semifinals. The seniors have used their high energy on the court, tantalizing their fans with their scintillating attack style, digging and passing skills.

A lot of laughs have been shared as the players talk about their times together. They giggled with each other before practice Monday as they recalled their experiences this season and shared their anticipation of a trip to the Siegel Center in Richmond tonight for the Group A semifinals.

“I want to go now,” Jeffers said. “Like, today. It’s like, hard and the anticipation is killing us.”

They won’t have to wait much longer.

The team has been waiting for their moment in the spotlight since day one.

“We have been preparing for this all season,” Guy said. “Physically, mentally and emotionally — all of it together.”

And a strong friendship off the court hasn’t hurt, either.

“In the beginning, we had our good times and bad times,” Guy said. “But now it’s like we’re sisters.”

When the heat is on during a match, their sisterhood comes in handy.

“I think that it helps in a game that we are so close outside of volleyball,” Arbogast said.

They’re so close that it doesn’t matter if a few mistakes are made.

“We’re really good friends,” Jeffers said. “So nothing can be embarrassing. If we get mad at each other on the court, we know each other well enough that we can be like, ‘It’s OK, you can calm down now.’ ”

Hornets coach Kim Claytor has been through it all, and the fiery coach’s presence hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“We’ve gone through to see the different layers of coach Claytor,” Guy said. “We’ve seen her laugh, we’ve seen her cry. We’ve gotten to know her better this year. She loves us.”

Claytor mirrored that affection.

“Their personalities are bubbly. I’ve never seen them in a bad mood,” she said. “They always have a smile on their faces. To see these guys grow up, and [to have had] four years with them, it has been unbelievable. Now I have to cut the apron strings and let them go, like mama.”

Lately, it’s just good to be a Green Hornet.