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As the season winds down toward what is sure to be a climactic finish, four senior Juneau-Douglas volleyball players say they will cherish their time with the team.

Krista Barril, Nia Maake, Mahlet Tingley and Ruthanne Yadao are entering the final chapter of their volleyball careers at JDHS, and each one said they have great memories of what they've been through as a Crimson Bear.

Barril said her last game as a Crimson Bear at home was a great, but a little sad.

"Just knowing that it's my last home game, and that two weeks from now I won't be playing anymore," she said. "We (the volleyball team) are really close. If you see us at school or lunch, we're together, constantly together. You never see us separated."

She said that she has known many of the girls for a long time, and that they are like family to her. She said she is enjoying spending her senior year with them.

"We're just carefree," she said with a smile. "We can act goofy or do whatever and people are like 'oh, they're seniors' and they can't really say anything."

Barril said she has big plans for the future.

"I'm hoping to go to Oregon or Washington and I want to become a civil engineer," she said. "I just like working outside. I don't want to sit at a desk office. I've always liked houses and buildings and I'd love to design them."

She said being on the West Coast would feel more like home. Plus, she said, she's been there before, and it's closer to the people she has come to love.

"My mom has always been there to watch my games," she said. "Sandi (Wagner) has helped me with all the schoolwork, and sports have helped me stay on top of my schoolwork. She's one of the best coaches I've ever had, so I'm going to miss that. I'll probably come back and see her."

Maake said the team has been very important to herself and her fellow seniors.

"We're all best friends, and it's more than just being on the court," she said. "Out of school, we're together all the time, and this team has meant a lot to me. We've come a long way and we're ready to compete."

She said she plans on going to college at Brigham Young University, and is interested in continuing her volleyball career, whether it is competitively or recreationally. Outside of sports, she said she would like to work around people.

"I love working with people, especially kids," she said. "I want to maybe go into teaching, and I love writing so I would like to go somewhere with creative writing. Dental hygiene has also been interesting to me."

She said her family runs a day-care center, so she has been around children her entire life.

"My family has been the biggest support in my life," she said. "Sometimes there are times when I just want to give up on something, but they've always told me that quitting gets you nowhere, and that you've got to keep trying.

"My coaches have always been there not only academically, but in my personal life," she added.

She said there are many things she will remember from her senior year.

"I'm going to miss everything. Playing on the court my senior night was definitely emotional," she said. "It was hard thinking this would be the last time playing at home as a Crimson Bear. I'm going to miss my coaches and the support they've given me, and I'm going to miss the girls."

While finishing high school and moving on to college can often be intimidating, Maake said she understands the importance of taking the next step.

"Moving on is something you have to do; that's how life is," she said. "I don't know if I'm ready yet, but it's part of life and it's the only way that we become stronger."

Tingley said senior night was memorable for her as well.

"Knowing it's your last game home makes it even more exciting, and the juniors did a good job presenting senior night," Tingley said. "So, it was an exciting night."

Going into the regional tournament, Tingley said she is looking forward to the playing tough teams, and that competing alongside her teammates and coaches has been great.

"The coaching staff has been great, and with Juneau being a small town, we've (the team) all grown up together from sport to sport, so it's been another fun activity."

This is the second year Tingley has played volleyball. She also plays basketball and soccer, and is looking to play basketball in college on the West Coast, preferably in Washington.

She wants to study kinesiology, she said, and is interested in the medical field in general.

"There are courses here at our high school that have gotten me interested it," she said. "Eventually, I'd like to maybe be an athletic trainer or physician's assistant."

As for the best part about senior year, Tingley said she isn't sure what it is yet, especially since it's not even halfway over.

"I don't think I've experienced yet," she said. "There are a lot of memories I've had with the volleyball team, but there's a lot still to come."

Yadao said her last game was interesting, especially considering that the four seniors played together on the floor at the same time for the first time all year. Even while playing out of position, they still had a good time.

"I don't usually play front row, but we made it work," she said. "We weren't used to it, but we kept our intensity up, so it was fun."

Going into regionals, she said the team knows what they are capable of.

"We've just got to work," she said. "We know we can beat all those teams, but we just have to focus and keep our intensity up."

While she and the team set their sights on state, she said they are looking forward to playing rival Ketchikan at regionals.

Outside of volleyball, Yadao wants to go into medicine and plans to attend the University of Alaska Anchorage on a scholarship. She said she has family members in the medical field.

"I want to be a traveling nurse," she said. "I want to be able to help people out wherever they need me."

Yadao said her teammates have meant a lot to her this year.

"Our team is really close, and it was such a fun year being a senior and getting to know everyone else," she said. "I'm going to miss everyone.

"We're going to keep hanging out even when volleyball is over."

While the end is not far away, the Crimson Bears have business to take care of first, before they relinquish their spots as team leaders for this year's junior class.

The Region V Tournament starts Thursday at Mount Edgecumbe.

• Matthew Tynan can be reached at matthew.tynan@juneauempire.com.