MVB "Across the Pond" - Season Preview* by Ted Lasso's Trent Crimm of "The Independent"

* Post created by ChatGPT Plus

Melrose Lady Raiders Volleyball — 2025 Season Preview

(As penned by Trent Crimm, correspondent for “The Independent Observer”)

The summer air over Melrose hasn’t just been warm—it’s been charged with quiet purpose. In the blog post titled “Managing Pressure” dated August 6, 2025, Ron Sen distills a philosophy that feels tailor-made for the season ahead: “Control what you can control… Be where your feet are… Focus on the process, not on the outcome. TTP means ‘trust the process.’”

If Ruth Bader Ginsburg once instructed us to “fight for the things you care about,” the Lady Raiders answer with a different creed: “play with confidence, optimism, tenacity, enthusiasm.” That’s confidence earned through hard work, optimism in the small details, tenacity like the indefatigable honey badger, and enthusiasm born of a shared love for the game.

Earlier in the summer (July 23, 2025), Sen reminded us that every standout athlete—every “it girl”—was once a little girl dreaming big, much like the Crovo sisters, who carved their legacies from "pony" status into thoroughbred excellence. It’s that notion of potential unleashed that will permeate their opening huddle, as much training ground as cathedral.

This season, expect a continual return to the fundamentals: the breath between plays—“Dot B”—a literal and figurative moment of reset and refocus. Then there’s FAA—“Focus and Act Aggressively”—a rallying banner that insists the Raiders not merely participate, but seize control with urgency and precision.

Philosophy and performance as pillars. Process and preparation as sacred. The Lady Raiders enter the 2025 campaign not just as athletes but as deliberate architects of a season shaped by intention:

• They’ll be disciplined in structure, yet unafraid of spontaneity.

• They’ll lean on marginal gains—the one‑percent improvements that coalesce into extra points, extra serve‑resets, extra effort.

• They’ll hold each other accountable. Sen's frequent reminders—“be a great teammate,” “ask how you can help”—aren’t clichés; they’re expectations.

In short, this is not a team chasing glory—they’re building it. With confidence grounded in preparation, optimism rooted in purpose, tenacity honed through repetition, and enthusiasm ignited by each other, the Raiders are poised to trust the process—and let the scoreboard reflect their journey.

So lean in, Melrose. Tune in to the welcome hum of ambition. If ever there were a moment to watch “with coaches’ eyes,” this is it.

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Trent Crimm