Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Game 10: Halfway Home, Melrose 3 Wakefield 0



Whooah, we're half way there 
Livin' on a prayer  - Jon Bon Jovi

Melrose reached the halfway mark of the regular season with a 25-8, 25-5, 25-8 win over Wakefield at home. The win gives Melrose a 9-1 record at the turn. 

Coming in as an expansion team in a sport isn't easy. You need athletes, infrastructure, and good coaching. Wakefield moved in the right direction with Coach Nicole Trudeau, well-known to be associated with the Athletic Evolution program. 

Melrose got off to a slow start with a 6-5 opening set lead before running off a 19-3 sprint to win the set 25-8. Meri Lessing had three kills and Victoria Crovo a pair to highlight the set, which Melrose played service-error free. 

The second set was all Melrose as the Lady Raiders led 11-0 and 17-1 along the way. Sophomore Hannah Mulcahy had a mid-set burst of three kills, and both Meri Lessing and Annalisa DeBari had a pair of kills, and Melrose had a solitary service error. 

The final set saw an 8-7 lead early and a Melrose 17-1 run to close the frame. Meri Lessing added another three kills and Jill MacInnes delivered three late kills from the front row as she traded in the libero uniform for a red shirt and sneaked into the front row. 

Game Notes: The match lacked some flow early as Melrose adjusted to a different style of play from Wakefield. But it also afforded all the healthy Melrose players to see time and gain experience in different game facets, as players who don't ordinarily serve got some experience on the service line and Amanda Cain got time at setter. 

An underclass parent noted how great the upperclassmen have been in supporting younger players, reflecting the great culture in the program. That unselfishness demonstrates maturity from the players, successful parenting, and exemplary coaching. 

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