Playing "Up" - Craft Your 'Career Trajectory'

Most players rarely think about this. Maybe that's a good thing. Excellence is not about balance. 

As Brad Stevens told my wife Ellen (the rocket scientist) about sports, "It's not rocket science."

Coaches' Player Evaluation

• Performance (competence)
• Projection
• Character (intangibles)

Performance is dynamic. 

The pathway to excellence traverses "kaizen," work toward continual improvement. It's ruthless pursuit toward your asymptote of excellence, your performance ceiling. Teams succeed when they develop enough individuals hungry for team success. 

Projection is hard to measure. 

Two young players especially stood out during 2025 tryouts to me. Both are regulars now. Scott Celli has the ability to recognize "it" when he sees "it." When I asked him once how long it took him to see that a specific player had "it," he said, "five minutes." 

Anson Dorrance about Mia Hamm

Character  

"The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." Exceptional players have extraordinary character. This allows ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things. Finding these 'guys' separates champions. 

Former Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler said about avoiding the 'wrong player', if he goes to Ohio State he might beat you once a year. If he comes here, he can beat you every day. 

Melrose has never had those 'wrong' guys. They still don't. 

Become the metaphorical "lottery pick" or "first rounder" who can play for anybody. Melrose has a bunch of candidates for those labels. Coaches don't make lottery picks or first rounders. Players do via their commitment, discipline, focus, sacrifice, teamwork, and will. They embody "deliberate practice." 

You control your career arc. 

MassHSVB Rankings

MassHSVB published its updated rankings. 

What matters? How you play, the league you play, and whom you play. 

Restated, there's "Halo Effect" as teams can earn recognition for its relative standings to competition. 

Melrose went from off-the-radar to into the top 25, whatever that means. 

"Moving on Up"

You award yourself integrity, work ethic, commitment. You can't award yourself external recognition.

The latest Maxpreps.com D2 rankings:

Here's the reality. You're still in the "Evaluation Phase" of the season. Soon, there's a transition into the "Second Act." The characters embrace the struggle to overcome the obstacles on their destination. Then, there's "The Crescendo" of action to the resolution. You know it when you see it. 

The crescendo happens when all the instruments come into play - in the video at about 11:30 or so. 

Separate Yourself from Fear of Failure

I’m in love with this sentence:

“The strongest version of you is buried under the habits you're afraid to break.”

— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) September 20, 2026

The Pathway to Success

Focus. You can't focus too much.

Make plays. That's why you're on the court. 

Believe. You've done this before.  

 

IMO (In My Opinion) - Learn About 'Duende'

First, an AI take:

George Frazier used “duende” to mean an elusive personal quality—style, presence, taste, authenticity, a kind of cultivated magnetism that cannot be reduced to wealth, status, or conventional success. Borrowing the term from Spanish artistic tradition, he applied it to people who seemed to possess an unmistakable grace and individuality that made them more interesting than merely fashionable. For Frazier, duende was less about looking impressive than about having a distinctive way of being.

David Ortiz radiated duende. Pedro Martinez had duende. Roman Anthony, not yet. 

Muhammad Ali had duende. 

Dr. Victoria Crovo had duende...the image shows her on the block. 

Duende fashions flair with functionality. 

Marcin has duende. 

What does this have to do with volleyball?

"Every day is showtime." Every day is "prove it" time. Show the coaches that you belong on the court. Make them want you on the court. Make them need you on the court. 

Watch most JV games... as expected, you see less experience, less skill, less force, less consistency. Your job is to leave an impression while making a difference. 

How? 

1) Serve with intent. 

2) Hit with intent. 

3) Energize your teammates. 

4) Impact the game. 

5) Play with force. Bring electricity to the court. 

Your challenge is to figure it out. 

Lagniappe. Thought for the week... what would you call a Kayla ace? 

"A Ton Bomb" 

Lagniappe 2. This guy has 'duende'. 

via GIPHY

What Are the Little Things?

Death by 1,000 Cuts Kills More Cultures Than a Fatal Blow pic.twitter.com/IktPu2sGtb

— Jeff Janssen (@janssenleader) May 18, 2026

"The little things are the big things." There are no little things. 

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Be supportive. Bring energy. Celebrate small victories. Culture simplifies leadership. 

Talk. Talk. Talk. Channel Maggie Turner, the greatest on court talker ever.

MUDITA. "Your joy is my joy." Celebrating a teammate's success is a superpower. Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. 

"Grateful Red" Thank your families. Thank your teammates. Thank your coaches. 

No, No to Momo. Volleyball is a game of momentum. Stopping runs separates excellent from good. 

Sideline Hero If you're not in the game physically, be in the game mentally. Study the personel and strategy of your opponent. 

Reading Lessons Study the game looking for cues that "telegraph" the intentions of servers, setters, and hitters. The more you can learn by watching, the better you'll play when you get in there. 

Lagniappe. Coach puts you in the position to succeed. Listen. 

Shaka Smart said, "As a coach, it's my job to help our guys be our best."

"If we could control the result every time, it'd be a win."

Great coaches don’t just chase wins.

They care about people.

They give people hope and focus on development.pic.twitter.com/UCmao9db25 https://t.co/JsCBePYIQF

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) May 20, 2026

Lagniappe 2. Attacking the triple block.  

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A post shared by Nikita | Volleyball Training | Player Development (@vylovolleyball)

Maxpreps (AI) Take on Upcoming Match and More

Maxpreps.com uses AI to create pre- and post-game summaries.

Here's their latest offering.

And here's video from Wilmington at Woburn.

Expect that sometime this week, initial MIAA power rankings will drop. They ultimately are the only 'data' that count for playoff seedings and venues. 

Everything else provide entertainment value. 

MassHSVB.com rankings usually arrive Sunday evening.  

The Boston Globe information usually updates Fridays. Last week's rankings included four ML12 clubs - Winchester, Wakefield, Reading, and Woburn. 

Maxpreps.com updates (I think) Tuesday and Fridays. 

Home Cooking

MVB enjoys "home cooking" this week with a pair of games at the Middle School against Wilmington and Lynn Classical. 

View on Threads

Alabama, football royalty, takes a personal and local approach in literally catering to its player's appetites. 

Not sure what the Boosters' Club is cooking up this year in fundraising. Many moons ago Navy wives put together a cookbook with their favorite recipes. 

In The Bear, a Hulu drama, comments were made about how often great restaurants had relatively limited dessert offerings. 

Here are my top three: 

1) Apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. Some consider it more of a 'seasonal' dessert. I do not agree.

2) Dessert crepe with vanilla ice cream topped with a special blended sauce:

• Brown sugar
• Chopped (not finely) almonds
• Melted butter
• Amaretto (alcohol would mostly burn off during prep)

3) Chocolate trifle - concoction made with chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream. Cannot consider a dessert menu without homage to chocolate, Ellen's favorite dessert. I often go to AI for recipes

Chocolate Trifle

Ingredients

• 1 chocolate cake or pan of brownies, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 packages chocolate instant pudding, prepared with milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
• 1 cup crushed chocolate sandwich cookies or toffee bits
• Optional: 2–3 tbsp coffee or espresso to drizzle over the cake
• Optional: raspberries or sliced strawberries for acidity

Method

1. Bake and cool the cake or brownies completely.
2. Make the chocolate pudding and chill it.
3. Whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft-medium peaks form.
4. In a large glass bowl, layer:
   • chocolate cake
   • a light drizzle of coffee, if using
   • chocolate pudding
   • whipped cream
   • chopped chocolate
   • cookie or toffee crunch
5. Repeat the layers until the bowl is full.
6. Finish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
7. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

The overnight rest is important: the cake softens slightly, the chocolate flavors deepen, and the whole thing becomes cohesive without turning mushy.

If you want the version I’d make for company, I’d use brownies instead of cake, dark chocolate pudding, whipped cream, Heath bar pieces, and raspberries. The fruit and bitterness keep the dessert from becoming cloying.

Making Plays

Great coaches have a "keen sense of the obvious." Coaches want their teams to be playing their best and doing that consistently.

Part of that is getting the best players and combinations of players on the court as often as possible. When fouls (basketball), rotations, or injury prevent that from happening, frustration magnifies.

Some players have a 'mercurial' capacity to deliver great moments or great angst.

One of basketball's elite coaches explains in thirty seconds.  

"I'm Better When I Move"

The Sundance Kid shows that form makes function. 

In addition to being a 'thinking person's game', volleyball is a game of preparation and movement.

Pre-serve routine establishes a rhythm for the toss and armswing.

Footwork sets up your platform. "Be where your feet are" is good advice for serve receive.

Most pin hitters have an extended runway with a three step approach to optimize their lift, timing, and contact. 

Every day at practice or working out on your own, you build mental muscles of habit and discipline that carry over to game play. 

Here are five key lessons from James Clear's Atomic Habits as shared by ChatGPT Plus:

• Get 1% better. Small improvements compound. A cleaner platform, earlier feet, louder communication, one fewer service error—none looks dramatic today, but repeated daily they change a player. “Every day is player development day” fits Clear perfectly.
• Build identity, not just goals. “I want to be a better passer” is weaker than “I am a player who gets stopped, balanced, and ready before contact.” Clear’s point is that lasting habits become evidence for who we believe we are. In volleyball: become the player who does the right thing automatically.
• Make good habits easy. Environment matters. Put balls out early. Start warmups the same way. Use the same serve-receive language. Create routines that reduce decision-making. Good systems make desirable behavior the default instead of requiring daily inspiration.
• Don’t miss twice. One bad rep, one poor practice, one missed workout, one shanked pass—none matters much by itself. The danger is turning a mistake into a pattern. Reset quickly. The next rep is often more important than the last one.
• Systems beat motivation. Goals matter, but players live inside systems: how they practice, recover, communicate, and respond to errors. Everybody wants to win. The separator is whether daily habits support winning when nobody is watching.

Championship habits are usually boring before they become beautiful.
Great teams do simple things well, repeatedly, until execution looks natural.

Better Conversations*

*Partially based on a MasterClass from Alison Wood Brooks

Most people say that conversation is not their strength. This is different, for example, that 80 percent of drivers say they are better than average.

Dr. Brooks shares simple hints to improve conversation. All of us can benefit. Conversation is a skill. 

Remember the acronym TALK 

TALK stands for topic, ask, levity, and kindness. 

Topics: Prepare (mentally or written) topics you can share with another person. Those would allow you and your conversation partner, especially if not well known, a degree of comfort. We'll start with volleyball - because that is why you're here. 

Ask: Have some questions and work on developing better questions. You might not guess the type of questions that I'd want to know about MVB. 

• Who is the funniest? I might guess Ella or Amelie. I have no idea.. 
• Who is the loudest and the quietest? 
• Who is the goofiest? "What was that?" 
• Who is the most serious?

Think about engaging questions. 

Levity (humor): Think back to the SUCCESS acronym - simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional stories. Humor is often unexpected, especially from a 'serious' person. 

Who was the MVB career "Most Talkative?" Maggie Turner. What if she came in and said, "I'm not talking to you...(pause)...for the ten seconds." That would be a little funny. 

Levity isn't easy as don't confuse humor with sarcasm or hurting people's feelings. 

Kindness: We've all been on both ends of unkindness. Think of the "Silver Rule" - "Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you." Pull up (mentally) the "THINK" acronym. 

School and sports help you make friends for a lifetime. In a world of eight billion people, that reflects a kind of fate, 'kismet'. 

Develop your conversation skills and they will repay you over and over. 

Lagniappe. Baseball is a sport where if you get a hit three times out of ten, you're an All-Star. It's a failure sport. Every sport, every athlete knows failure. Work with it. 

We have to be elite at recovering after a mistake. pic.twitter.com/kzMf6zcArM

— Morgan Stuart (@MorganStuart18) September 16, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anything Is Possible

Sarah McGowan got her 'second chance' at the Melrose Athletic Hall of Fame induction as she was unable to attend the last ceremony.

A consensus member of the MVB Mount Rushmore elite, she starred on the 2012 State Title team, displaying exceptional individual ability. 

Her acceptance speech emphasized the experience and thanks to people who made a difference - Coach Scott Celli, teammates, and exceptional storytelling in the program. And she thanked her husband for allowing to relive her volleyball career far too often. 

 

Melrose - Lexington Stats

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization. 

Stats are up at Maxpreps.com

'There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies, and statistics." - Abraham Lincoln 

Highlights:

Attacking (kills)

• Sabrina 8
• Elise 7
• Amelie 6

Serving (service points)

• Anna 13
• Dani 8
• Alisa 7

High aces reduce kills; team stats 91.8% serve percent

Digs

• Anna 14
• Dani 12
• Gen 8

Assists

• Sadie 21
• Anna 3

Receptions

• Anna 21
• Dani 7
• Gen 7

What doesn't show up in statistics? "Got to have it" plays decide games. Melrose closed out the first set from a 23-23 tie and the second from a 22-22 tie. Early in the third set, Alisa had a service run that made a difference. 

Lagniappe. An abbreviated history of nicknames. The best nicknames stick because they 'resonate'. You have to be careful because some nicknames stick when they shouldn't. And I cannot publicly tell the greatest nickname story ever, told to me by a patient who earned the nickname as a four year-old... 
 

"Quarter Pole" - A Season Like No Other

Coach Scott Celli had never experienced anything like the torrent of injuries brought upon MVB 26.

• Quad-Captain Ella Friedlaender out for the season
• Leila Kiggundu with a variety of injuries
• Alisa Dautovic, a foundational piece, available only lightly
• Adriana Santoriello, another keystone, missed two games and played hurt

MVB isn't trafficking in excuses. They've played four of five road matches and no 'weak sisters'. They're 3 and 2; this time last year they were 2 and 3. 

They've lost two games to two powerhouse undefeated teams and played competitively against both. 

"And then what?" 

After a solid win against 3-1 Ipswich, they played their best defense and served well to beat undefeated Lexington. Now they get a couple days off to heal their wounds. 

Former Patriots Coach Bill Parcells says, "You are what your record says you are." They can live with that. 

Lessons Learned

Depth has "antifragility" limitations. Bill Belichick speaks of "ability and durability." He knows what he's talking about. 

"Next player up." Many players have filled and expanded roles. Maggie Shoemaker and Lorena Contin have performed well in the middle and Elise Marchais and Sabrina McArt have punched above their weight outside. "Lefty" Amelie Johnson has allowed offensive diversity as a power hitter from the right pin. 

2025 ML12 All-star Sadie Smith has picked up where she left off and added more attack to her game. She's among state leaders in assists. The "core defense" of Anna Burns, Gen Overlan, and Dani DiGiorgio has been solid and played their best all-around game yesterday. Kayla Ton had a career best contribution yesterday. 

MVB 26 is in a good spot having survived the opening salvos and played with limited availability from potentially "All-Star" players in Adriana and Alisa. 

Presume that every ML12 game will be a battle and relish the reality that "iron sharpens iron."  

And the youngbloods are getting exposure to some musical history... Willie Nelson said "there are two kinds of people, those who love Emmylou Harris and those who haven't met her." 

 

 

 

ML12 Standings (Top 8)

This season the ML12 migrates to playing each member once and then "in -season playoffs" occur among teams 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12.

Here are the current standings among the Top Eight. 

Much volleyball remains to be played. 

 

The Play Within the Play

View on Threads

Volleyball challenges players to "action continuity."

Serve -> Defensive realignment

Reading the server -> Defensive adjustment 

Attack -> Coincident coverage 

Reading the hitter -> Defensive adjustment  

Free ball over -> Defensive reset 

Reading the setter -> Block realignment

Coaches preach "Play to the whistle..." for a reason.

What is the next job? Do it and finish the play.  

  

 

 

 

 

It's Hard to Put the Toothpaste Back in the Tube*

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization. Adapted from my basketball blog*

Coaches are educators. Effective education changes both thinking and behavior. 

Current controversies surrounding music personalities and the Houston Texans and Kyrie Irving show the complexity and emotion crossing disciplines and geopolitics. 

Student-athletes are partly insulated from "the real world," yet should think about their communications. 

Practical Applications

Cognitive dissonance explains the difficulty and psychological discomfort in holding opposing viewpoints simultaneously. Maturity includes tolerating the discomfort of mixed judgments. You can admire the player and reject the opinion. You can dislike the speaker and concede the point.

Stoicism reminds us that we are not obligated to hold an opinion on everything. 

Likewise, we are not obligated to share our opinion, recognizing that opinions spark controversy.

A team, employer, sponsor, fan, teammate, or consumer may react to speech in ways the Constitution does not prohibit. An employer may consider our words a "fireable offense" or a governing body might pull our license. 

Legal constraints such as libel and slander also might constrain our communication. It is noteworthy that political speech from some elected officials has protection. 

Putting the toothpaste back in the tube can become a Herculean task.  

Cancel Culture 

"Cancel culture" applies when organizations or individuals are boycotted or shunned because of their publicly held beliefs. It's people imposing social or economic consequences on speech they consider unacceptable.

"I'm done with him" or "Bye, Felicia." 

Decades ago, Toshiba sold super-secret submarine quieting technology to the Soviet Union. I chose not to buy Toshiba products, not exactly a company-breaker.

Wealthy organizations and basketball superstars often choose not to comment on politics not wanting their "ox to be gored." That's rational to avoid offending fans with different beliefs, attitudes, and values. It's probably more the norm than the exception. 

No Easy Answer

One question is "why should we care about celebrity opinion?" A talking head says, "Shut up and dribble" and we can agree, disagree, or choose to ignore both the source and the target.

Each of us sets boundaries for our attitudes, choices, and effort. Many of us learn "children should be seen and not heard" and later "never discuss religion and politics." Life shows us that both are violated consistently. 

Before speaking, ask three questions:

• Do I know enough?
• Does this need to be said?
• Am I prepared to own the consequences?

Know what you believe and why you believe it. Choose words and opinions carefully and be prepared to stand behind them. 

Lagniappe. Learning to overcome adversity is both essential and a process.  

Nick Saban shares an universal truth about resilience and overcoming adversity.

"You gotta have resiliency. You gotta be able to overcome adversity."

"There can be no great victories in life unless you can overcome adversity."

"You gotta be able to overcome it."

The problem?… pic.twitter.com/RmVRWuw4aw

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) September 11, 2026

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game 5: Melrose 3 Lexington 0

Melrose played its fourth road game of the campaign, traveling to always tough Lexington (2-0), emerging with a 25-23, 25-22, 25-22 sweep.

The win gets Melrose to 3-2 and levels its ML12 record at 2-2. 

The word for the day was resilience, as Melrose continues short-handed with Adriana Santoriello out and Alisa Dautovic playing at most half time as she recovers from injury. Leila Kiggundu remains out. Ella Friedlaender is out for the season. 

The first set was pretty much an exchange of punch for punch. Melrose had a good start from "Lefty" Amelie Johnson with three early kills and excellent defense from the back among Anna Burns, Dani DiGiorgio, and Gen Overlan. 

It was anyone's set until Melrose captured the final two points from 23-23 to take the lead. 

The second set was mostly more of the same, punching and countering from the unbeaten Minutewomen. Their excellent setter, sophomore Ela Sari continually created high danger chances for the Lexington front line. 

Again Melrose hung close throughout and closed out the set from 22 all with a three point run. Kayla Ton had a couple of key serves off the bench and Sabrina "Air" McArt pounded home critical attacks. 

The third set was a different animal. Lexington opened up a quick 4-2 lead before an error gave Melrose the serve. Alisa "Sundance" Dautovic burned in three consecutive rockets to put Melrose in front. 

Melrose extended the lead and had what seemed like a prohibitive 23-16 lead. The young Lexington team refused to fold and forced Melrose skipper Scott Celli to take a pair of timeouts down the stretch. At 24-22, Elise Marchais scored with an outside attack and MVB captured the win in the shadow of Battle Green. 

Three up:

An impossible task as pretty much everyone who played added to the win. The back row played their most consistent match of the season.

 

Melrose will get a few days off before back to action with a homestand next week. Getting healthy is the top priority. 

More on these matches will follow in the ensuing days.  

Melrose Notes:

Lexington is getting underway on their new $656 million dollar high school. Expect the athletic facilities to be top notch. 

Melrose traveled well with an enthusiastic cheering section. Noteworthy that Lacy and Devin, Alisa's martial arts instructor, made the trip from Melrose. 

 

The Essence of Coaching

Consider investing some of your time in coaching young players someday. You get a taste at clinics and camps.

One group shared some of what they learned after the season. I kept many of the cards. 

 

State Leaders

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was epic. The movie takes cinematic license with the personalities, but they were real. 

You can't fake high performance. It is not all about numbers but most solid players put up good numbers. 

Here are the updated MaxPreps.com state leaders:

Attacking:

With only three games and one on the DL, Adriana is at number 26 in kills.

Ball handlers:

Even with far fewer sets played than the top assist guys, Sadie Smith is at number four.

Digs:

Anna Burns is at number eleven. 

And Then What?

Repost.

Wednesday is history. Good work. The question becomes, "And then what?"

As a competitor in any domain, you face new challenges. Respond together and forcefully. 

"One team; one fight." 

Teacher's Pet

Coaches don't see everyone through the same lens. Nobody does. If a patient said, "can I call you, Ron?" I would usually say, "Only my mother wants to call me, Doctor."

Here's how to become the teacher's pet:

• Work hard at all times. (Work ethic)
• Be early, not on time. (Dean Smith Time)
• Be a great teammate, energizing and encouraging others.
• Be positive. "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses."
• Do more than expected. Help with setup, breakdown, and cleanup.
• Show that you want to learn. "How can I do this better?"
• Impact the game. Make others better.
• Improve athleticism. Get the 'wow factor'. 
• Communicate. Communication is intentional; talk is random.
• Lead. Show that you can elevate the team. 

None of this requires a stern face and humorless demeanor. Volleyball is fun. Share your joy. 

Wow factor: the hardest hitters leave a different sound when they strike the ball - Karen Sen, Laura Irwin, Gia, Sadie Jaggers. 

What's special? Ordinary people doing extraordinary things... 

Lagniappe. Grandma's rules. 

• Never humiliate someone in front of their peers. 
• The people who are the hardest to love are the ones who need it most. 
• Rules without relationship lead to rebellion.
• Don't let a bad grade define a good kid. 
• A quiet room is sometimes a fearful room. 
• She said, "I forgot all the test scores. I only remembered the kids who came back years later to say thank you."