Perhaps the best team Melrose faced in the 2012 postseason was the Canton Bulldogs, a perennial contender. Watching a full match illustrates a myriad of principles.
Study great teams and great players. Embrace the lessons.
- Talent appears in multiple forms across the roster.
- They didn't have an abundance of size...without a six footer
- Four players were eventual All-State selections - Brooke Bell, Sarah McGowan, Jill MacInnes, Allie Nolan
- Jen Cain was the best Melrose player never selected All-State
- Aggressive play pays dividends
- Against the best teams, you have to win points not rely on errors
- Melrose had no 'exploitable' weaknesses.
- At their best, they dominated serve and serve receive.
- They had three solid attackers - McGowan, Cain, and Rachel Johnson.
- The attack thrived on versatility - power, tips, cut shots, slide attacks
- See how Brooke rarely 'trapped' attackers against the net
- Note the coordination of play, especially the blocking power of Rachel Johnson and Kayla Wyland
- The back row defense of MacInnes, Nolan, and Cain showed extreme consistency
- They had elite "specialty service" with Cassidy Barbaro
- The whole rotation contributed. Annalisa DeBari and Amanda Commito were pivotal throughout the match
- Resilience was required. The team fell far behind in set two (six points) and set three (four points) and rallied for a dominating win.
- When they struggled, it was "first pass" off the serve-receive.
- Several 'truths' say the same thing. "Control what you can control" or "run your own race" and "that's outside my boat."
J-Mac shows her All-State form.
Often the best coaching advice is the simplest...from Blazing Saddles (1974)
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