Melrose squared off against top area teams at the annual Medway Play Date...a.k.a. Turnpike Tournament. Medway has a great athletic complex from air conditioned gymnasium with an elevated running track to a plethora of turf fields, including at least three soccer fields at their main complex.
Teams play timed "games" without official scoring and players serve as lead, floor, and endline officials. Chloe Gentile looks ready to officiate already...
Concord-Carlisle was a load with a pair of oversized middle hitters but Melrose played them pretty evenly.
Defending State Champion Newton North (above) lost several stars to college, but they'll still be tough.
Coach Scott Celli mixed and matched lineups while dropping some hints about his starting lineup. Experienced hitters Emma Randolph, Erin Torpey, and Emily Hudson led the offense. Freshman Chloe Gentile and Sophomore Elena Soukos look ready for prime time.
Eva Haralabatos continued to press her edge at setter, but Kiki Kiernan performed well in relief.
The back row led by Nicole Abbott and Mary Kate Mahoney did a credit-worthy job handling a lot of tough serves. If there was a trend, more teams aggressively started play with hard and knuckling serves.
Grace Davis deserves mention for aggressive play and consistent, loud communication.
Three up: (borrowing from Boston Sports Journal)
1. Elena Soukos...excellent footwork and high attack efficiency with very few attack errors.
2. Chloe Gentile...crafty around the net, a "quick leaper" with ability and experience beyond her years both offensively and blocking.
3. Leah Heafey...saw action both as designated server and on the outside.
Road warriors. Next week's schedule.
Playdate notes: In a refreshing departure from the norm, admission was free and Medway concession pricing didn't keep pace with inflation as most items were a dollar, including Dunkin' Donuts coffee, donuts, popcorn, and water.
No comments:
Post a Comment