MIAA Power Rankings Updated

Melrose marching in place with no games since prior rankings. Canton had a couple of losses and has recently drifted down.

It's still early to be too invested in Bracketology. 

 

It's Not About Awards - At Burlington Tuesday

"When he won coach of the month, and I was like, 'hey, congratulations.' And he just looked at me and said 'nobody cares.'"

Celtics guard Derrick White on his favorite Joe Mazzulla quote 😂

(via @NoaDalzellNBA)pic.twitter.com/eqKCD5bgez

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 14, 2024

Melrose travels to Burlington Tuesday in a clash of the top two teams in the Middlesex Freedom Division.

How do you play your best? Make it about the moment, like Joe Mazzulla. 

That reminds me of a psychological test where they ask you to name as many animals as possible in a minute. If you start with 'chinchilla' then I'm thinking you know the questions. And in volleyball it's good to know the questions. 

Lagniappe. 

Michael Jordan said, "You have to be uncompromised in your level of commitment to whatever you are doing, or it can disappear as fast as it appeared."

"Excellence isn't a one-week or one-year ideal. It's a constant."

Excerpt from his book Driven From Within. pic.twitter.com/q5sl2xDjp5

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) October 14, 2024

Respect

Respect is always a big topic in sports. Barnstable has been THE top volleyball program in Massachusetts for decades. When Melrose visited them, MVB was greeted by the strains of Mickey Mouse. Where's the respect there?

Respect matters internally and externally. 

• Respect your coaches and teammates. 
• Respect your opponents. 
• Respect the officials. 
• Respect the game. Deliver effort and sportsmanship. 
• "The best way to get respect is to show respect." 

Some teams aim to use distraction to get opponents unfocused. One team Melrose defeated in the sectionals almost two decades ago danced around after every point. Superiority silenced the dancing. 

There's precedent in the 1996 Olympics where the Cuban team earned a comeback victory over Brazil with taunting and other antics that nearly triggered a riot afterward. 

Lagniappe. Covering the block is critical.

 

 

Banner Values

Benefit from the experience and cultures of other exemplary teams. Here's the latest on a culture update from the Boston Celtics.  

There is a new Banner (not Banner 18) in the middle of all the championship banners. It reads:

Humility
Mindset
Togetherness
Toughness
Passion
Compete

Those are the principles Joe Mazzulla said he wants the #Celtics identity to be built on. pic.twitter.com/BZXmMuu1ve

— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) October 11, 2024

Programs run with their beliefs, attitudes, and values. 

• You can only be as good as your self-belief. 
• Attitude might include mastery, positivity, and purpose. 
• The Celtics share their values on a new banner. 

Cultural values can be private or public. 

AI says: 

The Boston Celtics are clearly emphasizing a set of core values that go beyond just basketball skills. Each of these values—Humility, Mindset, Togetherness, Toughness, Passion, and Compete—reflects a cultural framework that promotes growth, accountability, and team-first thinking.

• Humility likely encourages players to stay grounded, no matter their level of success, and focus on continuous improvement.
• Mindset emphasizes a mental approach to the game, suggesting that the right attitude and preparation are essential to success.
• Togetherness promotes unity and the strength that comes from collaboration, which can elevate the team.
• Toughness refers not just to physical resilience, but mental fortitude, showing the importance of overcoming challenges.
• Passion speaks to the love for the game and the energy that drives sustained effort.
• Compete reminds players that every moment on the court is an opportunity to give their all and strive for excellence.

When the Chips Are Down, Where Are You?

Gold from Saban. Leadership 101.

Transformational > Transactional.

In my opinion, in this NIL era, it matters more than ever.pic.twitter.com/GzSqmNreqZ

— Kevin DeShazo (@KevinDeShazo) October 5, 2024

"Negative experiences without teaching kills morale." - Saban

The longer your involvement in sports, the larger the number of highest high and lowest low outcomes. Unavoidable. 

The majority of the time, the worst experiences didn't occur because of effort and execution. Most often they came about from lack of focus and lack of resilience. 

Coaches expend vast amounts of time teaching technique, tactics, and physicality, when the pitfalls often relate to mental toughness. Pro and Olympic athletes universally have sport psychology and mindfulness training which increase focus. Exceptional players have exceptional mental approaches. 

Lagniappe. Search Inside Yourself... mindfulness is easy and the results are real. I read the book three times. 

Lagniappe 2. How do we transform goals into outcomes? It requires self-regulation, discipline, and decisions. Read more about the process here to build a stronger you. 

Happily Never After

"God doesn't limp." - Gregory House in House*

Here's how the ML12 teams stand as of 10/13, by MIAA power rankings, playoff eligible in bold. 

Division 1

• #15 Winchester 3.53
• #19 Lexington 3.15
• #23 Belmont 2.28
• #42 Arlington -0.24

Division 2

• #10 Melrose 3.44
• #18 Burlington 2.01
• #25 Woburn 1.42
• #32 Reading 1.09

Division 3

• #15 Wakefield 1.93
• #53 Wilmington -.90
• #58 Watertown -1.63

Division 4

• #27 Stoneham -0.80

A large part of the problem is the ML12's 14-23 record against non-league competition, including an 0-15 record among the bottom four teams in the standings. 

What's the solution? MVB doesn't have ownership of the rest of the ML12. Here's a prompt and a ChatGPT 'hallucination'. 

Artificial intelligence works to make us happy, to be accurate, and to avoid mistakes. 

Prompt: Philosophy is the "love of wisdom." Stoicism has developed a following among professional sports. Discuss "control what you can control" in the context of sports philosophy.

ChatGPT said:

The Stoic principle "control what you can control" resonates deeply within sports philosophy because it encourages athletes to focus on factors within their power, fostering resilience and mental clarity in competition. The Stoic mindset is about differentiating between what is within your control—your effort, mindset, preparation—and what is not, like the opponent’s performance, weather conditions, or referees' decisions.

In sports, adopting this philosophy helps athletes manage stress and anxiety, avoiding wasted energy on external distractions. It’s about accepting uncertainty while committing fully to your own performance. For example, a volleyball player can’t control whether the ball hits the net on a serve, but they can control their reaction—reset, refocus, and prepare for the next point. This builds mental toughness and allows athletes to stay composed under pressure.

By focusing only on what they can control, athletes enhance their focus and performance. They learn to embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth, rather than feeling defeated by things beyond their influence. This mental shift not only improves outcomes but also leads to a greater sense of fulfillment in sports and beyond. It aligns well with Stoic wisdom, promoting discipline, perseverance, and emotional balance in the face of challenges.

The polls, power rankings, and pundits don't define what happens during the remainder of the regular season. Your preparation, competitive character, and performance do. Your coachability, effort, and focus matter most. "Be here now." 

Lagniappe. "The refrain, "Let it be," encourages calm acceptance in the face of adversity, not unlike how Stoicism emphasizes focusing on internal responses rather than external events. While the song doesn't explicitly call for action, it represents the idea of maintaining peace and perspective, even when situations are beyond your influence. It’s about trusting that things will work out, while controlling your inner calm and response."

Author's note: the series "House" has the ultimate rule-breaker as its protagonist. A famous fictional medical novel, "The House of God" discusses the 'system' of medical training. Greg House, diagnostician extraordinaire, is figuratively 'the god of House'. 

 

Practice As Though Your Legacy Depends on It

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own.  

“Most of our athletes today don’t practice to be great and don’t practice to be dominant; they practice to practice.

They practice just to get through practice.

I practiced to be the best ever.”

- @DeionSanders

DISCUSSION QUESTION

👇🏿 pic.twitter.com/EopuFXeu0S

— Coach's Diary (@ACoachsDiary) December 23, 2022

Don't practice because there's practice. Huh? 

You want the designated server spot or the opposite spot? Practice to win that spot, to block better and get backset attack winners. Underclassman? Fight to win more than a roster spot, but a position. 

You want to beat Burlington, Billerica, Canton, Duxbury, Westborough. What's your plan? Practice the individual and team skills necessary to defend the best outside hitters, pipe attacks, hard serves. 

In 1970, USC and Alabama agreed to a home and home series in football. USC, with an integrated team, went to Alabama and savaged the Crimson Tide. Alabama fans, the state of Alabama demanded integration, not because they believed it was right, because they wanted to win football games. Alabama integrated the team, closed practice to everyone outside the team, implemented the 'wishbone offense' and won the return contest in LA. They practiced, not to practice, but to be great. 

Sport transforms society. 

Post 4100 : Mature Simplicity, Recipe for Success

Distill the game to its essence. 

Master the core concepts of volleyball.

1) Put the ball down on offense. 

2) Keep the ball up on defense. 

On offense

Bobby Hurley on shot selection 🗣 🗣

“This is basketball, not figure skating. You don’t get extra points for the degree of difficulty” pic.twitter.com/0mMH3laGrr

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) October 7, 2024

"Putting the ball down" comes in three flavors:

1) Attacks

2) Blocks

3) Service

Some players have the power or size to hit through or over double and triple blocks. Others (like Sarah McGowan) had both power and finesse to have a portfolio of shots - e.g. tips and cut shots to hit around blocks.

If you're a reserve or JV player with a dream, figure out how to put the ball down or keep the ball up.  

Be effective and efficient. 

“Basketball is a simple game…The best coaches are the simple coaches! The guys who screw it up the most are the ones trying to be the smartest guy in the room. Don’t try to be the smartest guy in the room, be the toughest guy in the room, the hardest working.”
~ Kelvin Sampson pic.twitter.com/T7mCWwgCVo

— JIM BOONE 🏀 (@CoachJimBoone) October 9, 2024

Simplicity means to be "good at what you do a lot." It also means to "do more of what's working and less of what's not." The game tells you what's working and you have to listen to it. 

Listen to your coaches and "Beginner's Mind." 

To quote zen master Shunryo Suzuki, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”

What does that mean? To compete against the top teams with high scoring attackers (generally outside hitters), you need to be on top of your blocking game. Not just offense propelled State Finalists to their destiny. 2012 had Rachel Johnson and Kayla Wyland. 2005 had Paula Sen and Jen Cohane. The top blocking pair for 2024 (in my opinion) is Sabine Wenzel and Leah Fowke. Each blocking pair (strong and opposite side) has to challenge itself to excel. If your blocks are getting tooled, why? Are you reading the play and getting there or are you 'ball watching'? Is your outside hand at the pins angled in to direct the ball back into the court? 

Challenge yourself to be great. Don't obsess about slaying the White Whale; become the White Whale. 

Summary: 

• Master Core Concepts
• Be Effective and Efficient 
• Learn "Beginner's Mind"

Lagniappe. Version 3, best imitation Jiffy cornbread recipe (best to date)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Dry ingredients: combine

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cups yellow corn meal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teasp salt
• 2 tablesp baking powder 

Wet ingredients:

• 1 egg beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil 

Add wet ingredient to dry and mix to combine but not overbeaten

Bake 20-25 minutes (I usually use the lower end times, but family may feel underdone if under 22 minutes). Cook in a greased 8" x 8" pan. 

"Get To"

Joe Mazzulla is such a legend.

Jayson Tatum has the privilege of dealing with unfair criticism.

Love the message. pic.twitter.com/IpaxZUPZCI

— Savage (@SavageSports_) October 10, 2024

Understand the privilege of playing on a good team with high ambitions. You can play on many teams without having those opportunities.

"Pressure is a privilege." 

There's an analogous maxim, "nobody backs up over a skunk."  

Lagniappe. What leadership skills do you need to work on? 

John Maxwell said, "Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others."

Leadership means doing more.

It means leading from where the other person is, not from where you are.

5 Characteristics of Great Leaders: pic.twitter.com/hpMjdDln7a

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) October 8, 2024

It's easy to think, "I don't have to lead now. I'm an underclassman." Almost every freshman who ever played with MVB became an eventual leader, not only on MVB. Develop your leadership skills from the beginning. Find ways to impact winning. You are not along for the ride. 

 

Lessons from Jack Clark

Many of the same qualities of great coaches belong to great players. Learn from them.

We don't have to know a person for them to be a mentor. Jack Clark, Cal Rugby coach, is a mentor. How? Clark shares extraordinary understanding of sport and coaching. 

Here are notes from the first half of a podcast (the meat starts at about five minutes):

Clark began rugby coaching in 1982. "I felt like an apprentice."  

He brought in more experienced coaches, "you don't know what you don't know." Many coaches are not ready. Playing is not the same as coaching. 

As a young boy, he wanted to learn more about players and coaches. George Plympton was a model, "a look behind the curtain." 

Mike White was his football coach at Cal. Clark felt that rugby blended football and basketball. "Rugby was a more free-flowing sport" 

"You've got to be able to make decisions with the ball in your hands." Everyone has the ball sometime. 

"Make informed decisions." 

"Everyone has to do their share of the dirty work." 

"All skills, all players..." a correlation to life.

Sport is not family, which is supposed to be unconditional love. You should care about one another, empathy and kindness...high performance teams are highly conditional. "Those conditions help this organization operate and succeed."

"Everyone is putting everything they have into it."

"I've had the most wonderful coaches...qualities worth emulating"

Coaching priorities, "willingness to tell you when your best could be better." Ask yourself, "am I at my peak performance?" 

"Happy to be coached..."

"They understood my strengths."

"Learn...the mentality of an individual...build playing the game based on their strengths...building a blueprint...based on what they do well." Make lists of what the player does well. 

"70-30 percent" maintaining strengths, working on weaknesses

"I shouldn't draw a paycheck unless I can develop players..."

Too much emphasis on weaknesses results in less confident players...

"Program and train optimism." (the host, Dr. Michael Gervais)

Identity - "I don't want to put people in boxes...influence people to be their best self...help people get from where they are to where they want to be..."

"We're always chasing...a level of play...that's going to be difficult." 

"What did we do well? I want that collaborative discussion...what do we have to work on?" 

"Identify what we can do well..." team buys into that deeply. The team understands performance...

(Gervais questionaire): 1) What went well? 2) What do we have to work on?"

Lagniappe. Control. 

A Champions mindset! pic.twitter.com/lXj3mdv3Nw

— Jim Shapiro (@jimshapiro) October 6, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Great teammates. 

The most important contribution a player can make in their career is being a great teammate. Through the good, the bad, and the ugly…. The wins and the losses. The ultimate respect is earned by those who continually put what’s best for team first. Look at championship winning… pic.twitter.com/OgxF8JeLfN

— Trent Mongero (@CoachMongero) October 6, 2024

 

MIAA Power Rankings Upate

 More of the same...still at ten although within whispers of nine. 

Experimental Writing: Moments and Memories

Children filled the stands, overseeing the sea of red and white. Melrose prepared to battle its neighbor Wakefield in volleyball combat. The wind whips at the top of the mountain.

Banners decorate the wall with Melrose displaying 22 league titles, 10 sectional titles and one state championship in the past 24 seasons.

Wakefield fans filled their section with dreams of banners in the future. The Wakefield players didn’t disappoint, showing athleticism, enthusiasm, and toughness.

The event showed the continuum of MVB - state champions from 2012 (Rachel Johnson, Wakefield coach Kayla Wyland, Sydney Doherty), MVB 24’ and youngsters whose future is the future of Melrose volleyball. 

Before the game, players celebrate tradition as they emerge through a tunnel of humanity to warm up. Wakefield warmups resemble those of Melrose as Coach Wyland is the fruit of the Coach Scott Celli coaching tree. 

I dismiss warmups because hitting against air differs from hitting live against the trees in the forest. That reminds me about ‘dueling’. “How do you shoot with a pistol aimed at your heart?” 

Some call Melrose, “vanilla.” MVB rarely uses ‘pipe attacks’, shoots, and backsets to opposites. Not a problem. “Do well what you do a lot” and “do more of what you do well and less of what you do not.”  

*This piece was experimental, in response to a MasterClass challenge from author Salman Rushdie to write a piece of 200-300 words, painting a picture without adjectives. Stress active verbs and nouns. Not saying it is a success. It's tough.  

It Isn't "Either Or" As We Need Both Birds and Frogs

Post by @adamgrant

View on Threads

We benefit from having both generalists, birds who see the big picture, and specialists, frogs who see the granular details. Benefit from both head coaches' who put the puzzle together and specialists such as position player development and strength and conditioning.

It's more convenient to use examples than to recognize the benefits of both. On the 2012 Championship team, Cassidy Barbaro had a valuable role as a designated server. Elite servers help "win points" directly. And 'generalists' like Jen Cain did it all, attacking, defending, serving. Both add value. 

"Comparison is the thief of joy." It's easier to stake out extreme positions in many domains than to recognize the value of different people in varied situations.  

Lagniappe. What do float serves do? 

Defense - Few Headlines, Just Bruises and Victory

Melrose made several spectacular defensive plays in the third set versus Wakefield, plays that defined the third set win. 

First, Gg Albuja makes a one-armed diving effort off camera and Leah Fowke keeps it alive. Melrose wins the point.

Only the most exceptional athletes convert these plays. 

Sofia Papatsoris blocks and gets called for an illegal attack. 

On youtube.com played at 0.25 speed and magnified below, Sofia attacks the ball after it crosses the plane of the net. I'm not a certified official and I think violations should be clear violations. 

Next, Alex Homan makes an "impossible" save with her non-dominant arm, again with a Fowke continuation play...and Melrose wins the point. 

It takes a village. Maggie Turner, then Leah, then Maggie, then Gg keep saving the play, but Melrose can't win this point on the highest altitude ball of the season. 

Fowke Tops 1,000 Career Assists

During tonight's match versus Wakefield, Leah Fowke added 30 assists to eclipse 1,000 for her career.

She's a paragon of consistency, the straw that stirs the drink.  

Game 14: Melrose 3 Wakefield 0

Amidst a playoff atmosphere, "Youth Night" and contentious back-and-forth delays over officiating, Melrose captured a 25-20, 25-18, 25-21 win. The win brings Melrose to 12-2. Wakefield falls to 9-5.

Nobody says "BeanTown" in Boston. But it was SabineTown tonight with a masterful performance in the middle to spark the victory. 

It wasn't a cakewalk. Wakefield has excellent coaching, solid size, and had a large group of enthusiastic fans. Melrose had key inputs from multiple players. 

Sofia Papatsoris puts one away at the net. 

Sabine has craft outside and blocking mastery in the middle. 

With the score tied at 20 in the first set, Melrose ran off five straight to finish the frame. 

Melrose freshman Ella Friedlaender saw second set action and Melrose continued to accelerate. The set was always under Melrose control. 

Others had their fingers in the pie, too. 

Adele Akland's serve trickles over, Wakefield fights it off, but Emme Boyer finishes the play. Melrose won the set handily. 

The third set saw some of the most spectacular Melrose defense in years and Melrose fought off a valiant Wakefield at the end. Sabine hammers home a winner to break a 21-21 tie. Next, Wakefield is called for a violation. Then, Wakefield violates again in the net. Finally, Sabine blocks an attack and gathers herself to quickly attack for the winner. 

Melrose notes: Youth Night brought a larger than usual crowd plus several alumnae. Rachel Johnson and Sydney Doherty from the 2012 champions were on hand as well as Manon Marchais from 2023. 

Themes : Hard Work, Winning, First Penguin Award

Dan Hurley said, “We have this culture of playing incredibly hard. We never lose because of our effort.”

Culture is:

1. What you allow.
2. What you emphasize.
3. Every day.

If you emphasize and demand hard work every day, you get it.

Culture Wins.pic.twitter.com/YoiBDSpADT

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) October 10, 2024

NBA Coach Doc Rivers said that his parents taught him, "never allow yourself to be a victim." Think about that. 

• Winners are wired differently. 
• Winners are more aggressive, playing with competitive fury.
• Pressure degrades performance. Winners have theirs fall less with it.
• Everyone misses shots. Winners take the next one, believing in themselves and expecting to make it. 
• Winners are resilient; they never quit. 

If someone asked me, "which player is the MVB First Penguin right now?" That's not the MVP or loudest, it's what it is. It's the player who's throwing the first punch. 

"Easy question." Of course it's Carol, bombs away. 

Home Thursday, Come for "Youth Night" Versus Wakefield

Run your race. 

Melrose hosts Wakefield, a major competitor in the Freedom Division, who arrive looking for a win that would make their season. Wakefield is 9-4 with a program on the rise.

Melrose looks to build momentum coming down the home stretch. Coach Scott Celli and his staff will look for the lineup that gives MVB the best chance at a deep playoff run. 

Lagniappe. "Put skin in the game." Serve and receive competition...

Stats Are In - Melrose vs Wakefield

Melrose had a momentous statistical night as Leah Fowke cracked the 1,000 assist mark.  

Attacks: 

Sabine Wenzel added 15 atop the 19 she had Tuesday night. Carol Higonenq posted eight and Emme Boyer and Sofia Papatsoris both netted seven. 

Serving: 

Melrose had a creditable 92% serving percentage. Alex Homan (14) and Adele Akland (10) also put up double figures service points. 

Digs, Receiving: 

Maggie Turner had 17 digs, 19 receives and Carol had ten of each. 

"Youth Night" - Equality and Quality

A force in her own right, Sheryl Sandberg wrote the introduction to Adam Grant's Originals. 

Her words reflect her commitment to quality. Women's sports prove the value of both quality and equality. 

It's appropriate to ask whether one person makes a difference on the cusp of "Youth Night." Every one of the 18 All-State players from Melrose was once an elementary or middle schooler with no volleyball exposure. In 2002, Marianne Foley and Amanda Labella convinced twin sisters to choose volleyball over swimming. That helped lead to the "First Dynasty" of sectional titles 2003-2005. You've seen the picture of Stephanie Crovo who went from child to champion on the 2012 Titlist. 

MVB captured girls' attention and later their hearts. Volleyball migrated from the 'other sport' for many to become primary. MVB stars come in all sizes from economy to extra tall. Some start painfully quiet and become squawk boxes. A few impact the sport as freshmen like Victoria Crovo. Others become key figures on a sectional champion as a senior as Ruth Breen did. No cookie cutter path defines MVB. 

Tomorrow a few young Melrose girls may succumb to MVB magnetism on the drive to destiny. Make the day special. 

 

Signature Play

Witchita State Head Coach Paul Mills talks about having personal pride on everything you do

pic.twitter.com/hgW4HO5XFG

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) October 9, 2024

Jackie Robinson "broke the color line" in baseball. Robinson took a fierce pride in his performance during a Hall of Fame career. He understood his historic effect on others. "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Team sports reward individual excellence within team play.

At a funeral, a speaker eulogized his supervisor who oversaw home construction and repair work. "Do our projects as though we personally signed the work." Great advice! 

Put your signature on your play. 

Somebody Jobs and Everybody Jobs

"There are somebody jobs, & there are everybody jobs. Everybody has to play with effort and energy. Sometimes young players get hung up on whether they are scoring points or not. We got to let them know there is another way.”

(Via @thewinningdiff1 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/Nkq6UlhO1k

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) October 9, 2024

Great video that many players never see and never understand. Players have many ways to impact teams, impact winning. Sometimes it might be as "simple" as playing hard at practice, being enthusiastic on the sidelines, and being ready even when a call might not come. 

Bracketology - First Look

Understand some of the thinking behind the MIAA Power Rankings. 

Melrose clocks in at #10 in the D2 rankings. Power rankings (PR) reflect "margin of victory" and "strength of schedule."

Historically, the PR have had high predictive value of tournament success, although Melrose has bucked that trend in the past with upsets.

Why PR anyway? Teams with great records (e.g. undefeated) in less competitive leagues would get high seeds and get knocked out in the first round by .500 teams from better leagues. The MIAA looked for another methodology and it's largely proven accurate. 

Melrose has the second lowest strength of schedule (SOS) in the D2 top ten. The issue is that the bottom of the Freedom Division (Stoneham, Wilmington, Watertown) is particularly weak this season and the six games against those teams is going to anchor Melrose's SOS in the lower tier of the competitors despite playing Winchester, Lexington, Burlington (twice), Wakefield (twice), Frontier, Westborough, Duxbury, and Newton North. "It is what it is."

Presuming Melrose stays in the #10-12 slot (likely) it means the "Round of 32" home game would matchup the #23-21 opponent. For example, at #10, they'd face #23 Marblehead. If a #10 seed advances, they travel to #7 (Hopkinton) over fifty miles away. I gave a talk there once. It's a hike. 

In addition to the top 32, teams with winning records below #32 also qualify. As of today, that's another eight, who would enter a preliminary round against #25-#32. 

Melrose notes: Melrose has a two-game edge in the Freedom Division standing heading down the stretch. A Freedom Division title would extend the MVB title run to 18 consecutive years. The streak was interrupted in 2006 with a final game loss at Reading with a pair of game deciding fifth set calls that went against MVB. We were broadcasting from a perch at the intersection of the back end and side lines in perfect position to see balls sail wide of the antenna and land in the deep corner. FWIW. 

Deep playoff runs require three dynamic hitters, players with the skill, size, and athleticism to deliver 10-15 kills consistently. The return of Sofia Papatsoris and strong play of Emme Boyer give Melrose a chance to have that in addition to Sabine Wenzel and Carol Higonenq who are Melrose's "Big Two." 

"There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies, and statistics." - Origin uncertain 

 

Fowke Tales

Leah Fowke is the MVB model of consistency. Last season she averaged 7.6 assists per set. This season, even with the graduation of her major target, Sadie Jaggers, she continues to average 7.6 assists per set. 

Moreover, she is closing in on a thousand career assists. 

She has an excellent chance to move into the top five among Melrose career assist leaders and possibly the top four. The top three include a pair of MHS Athletic Hall of Fame athletes (Brooke Bell, Colleen Hanscom) and a Boston Globe Division 2 Player of the Year (Lily Fitzgerald).