Upon Further Review

OK, Fishersville, it’s time to exhale.

Because you know that if you’re a fan of Wilson Memorial volleyball, and you looked at the Region B schedule and saw your girls were hosting, once again, Rappahannock County, you decided it would be a good idea to hold your breath.

You know, because you’ve been here before. You’ve watched a talented group of volleyball players in green led by a tall, NASCAR-watching, fiery coach get this far the past two years. Face this same team the past two years and, much to your chagrin, watched your Hornets lose the past two years.

So, once again Tuesday night, the Wilson Memorial volleyball couldn’t overcome . . . wait . . . what? . . . OK, looks like the Green Hornets won (sorry, post-election traumatic disorder) and good on them.

So, go ahead and let that breath out Fishersville. Because what you saw Tuesday night, a three-game sweep over a powerful Bull Run foe, is what should be the norm for these ladies.

It’s simple, really, when you look at the big picture. And the picture should be painted in green and white, include a talented base that has become a program at Wilson Memorial and it should be signed by a tall, fiery coach and uses yellow cards and ultimatums with gusto. Yes, I just typed gusto.

Here’s how it went down: Watching the Panthers kick and crawl back into that darned Game 2, coach Kim Claytor (you know, the tall, fiery coach that uses yellow cards and ultimatums with gusto) calls to the girls together and lets them know they’re not playing the way she wants them to. They’re not playing like they don’t want to go home early. (Again.)

“We were still a bit timid,“ she said. “We needed to become the aggressor.“

And that’s what that team needed to hear right then and there.

Lock. The. Thread.

Because someone, anyone, and really, did you care who?, had to tell these girls that there was no way, no how they should let Rappahannock send them home early (again).

“We went in thinking that we owed [Rappahannock] something,“ said senior Kala Guy. “We wanted to show them what we were made it.“

Good on the Green Hornets because they sure did. And their reward? Three more game wins from a berth to the state tournament.

Have you let out that breath yet, Fishersville?

So back to that Game 2 which, in the past, has been the death knell for Wilson volleyball. Suddenly, a team that avoided second-game wins like they had the flu, finds a spark. Let’s call that spark Christine Coffield.

Coffield slips an ace in from service line and Guy follows with, yes, another crater-maker. (Seriously, is AD Greg Troxell going to send her the bill for all those gym-floor repairs?) Then the smoke clears and the Hornets pick up a 29-27 win.

“She wanted it too,“ Coffield said of Claytor.

She got it.

Again, did you let out your breath yet, Fishersville?