Chasing the Rainbow*

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

Many of us have drunk the Kool-Aid, ridden the rollercoaster, and shared the thrill of victory and agony of defeat. We participated in the "high stakes," dog-eat-dog world of travel sports, the Arms Race to nowhere - scholarship, recruiting, NIL money.

The Value Is Real

First, value is real - physical fitness, less cancer, lower mental health problems, better grades, more college attendance. 

Youth sports at their best build more than athletes:

• Competitors (handle adversity)
• Thinkers (make decisions)
• Teammates (serve more than themselves)

Tom Farrey's Highlights 

Highlights:

3:23... three hours and twenty-three minutes every day spent on a child's sports...in the "up or out" model.

It's a forty billion dollar business, more than twice the size of the NFL. 

Elite athletes' sperm is the most coveted in the Sperm Bank ecosystem.

$300 million annually from the NCAA rose to over $4 billion (not including NIL).

Fifty percent of parents experience anger - officiating, play, self-recrimination.

20% of parents think their child can play in college.

10% of parents think their child can play in the pros or Olympics. 

The experience matters. Joy is foundational. 

Answers are Possible

We need more local sports, and more local teams, like freshman and JV teams. It's possible. 

Participation in middle school sports went from 17% to 62% in Oakland - because on investment by the Curry Family Foundation.

In other countries, like Norway, there's less cost, high participation and great outcomes. "The Joy of Sport for All..." and Norway won the most medals at the Winter Olympics. 

It can happen. 

 

MVB Assist Leaders (as of end 2025 Season)

Coach Scott Celli updates single season and career MVB statistical leaders at the end of each season. 

Here are the most recent completed season data and comments. 

Notes:

1. The job entails more than compiling assists. Setters defend (block and dig), attack in different ways, serve, and more. Sadie might be the best MVB setter/blocker (Leah Fowke also excelled) and she attacks the 'second ball' at a high level (seven kills in the Methuen match). 

2. We don't always know the names from the past. Two terrific players with single season records were Amanda Hallett and Ruth Breen. 

3. Amanda LaBella set during a different scoring era - games to 30 with two out of three sets to win and three out of five in the playoffs. 

4. Brooke Bell and Colleen Hanscom each had three 500+ assist seasons and both are in the Melrose Athletic Hall of Fame.

5. "Lily Fitz" also had three 500+ seasons and was a Boston Globe Player of the Year in 2017. 

6. Brooke Bell's record might be untouchable as in addition to three seasons with a strong supporting cast, she had 102 assists as a freshman.

And yes, Teddy Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." 

ML12 Statistical Leaders

The ML12 had its best competitive year ever with teams succeeding in nonleague play, achieving high MIAA power rankings by objective metrics, and having a "Winner's Week" in-season tournament.

Here's the statistical "individual leaders" tape (Melrose does not report aces and blocks): 

Player of the Week and More

Adriana Santoriello received recognition for her performance during the ML12 "Winners Week" consolation game, tallying 21 kills. 

You know the term, "Playing with Force." Force combines the physical and the mental. A player doesn't have to have elite size to play with force. Dustin Pedroia, Julian Edelman, and Payton Pritchard all played or play with force. Playing with "force" also creates a "force multiplier" effect. 

In the clip from the "Star Wars" series, Yoda says, "Do or do not; there is no try." 

 

 

Player Stats - Regular Season (Distributed Leadership Is an MVB Strength)

Overall regular season stats 

Kills

Adriana 187, Elise 186, Amelie 109, Alisa 101

Assists

Sadie 530

Service points

Anna 176, Dani 152, Alisa 141

Digging 

Anna 202, Dani 152 , Alisa 137

Receiving

Gen 207, Anna 180, Adriana 176, Dani 148, Alisa 133

State Leaders

Kills (Attack distribution is an MVB strength)

Adriana #43, Elise #44

Assists 

Sadie #9 

Digs

Anna #86

Melrose Notes: Success demands excellence in serving. Melrose has enjoyed excellence in servers for decades. Absolute numbers depend on sets played, teammates, and on deep runs in the postseason. 

MVB Career Assist Leaders (not updated)

Sadie Smith had 555 last season, is at 530 this season, and 1087 for her career

Leah Fowke was a two-year starter, had 625 assists in 2023, 550 in 2024, and 1198 for her career. Leah like Sadie was a strong blocker, solid defensively, and was an impactful server. 

Raise Your Communication Game

Student-athletes learn connection and communication with teammates. Add value for yourself. Write more. Buy ink by the barrel and tell your story. 

Body Language

You are a billboard that messages teammates. 

There's no 'one way' or 'best way' to connect. Dr. Victoria Crovo was "The V-Rex" a fireball of competitive emotion. A parent described one MVB player as a "Starfish." 

Radiate strength through body language.  

Writing

Commit to write better. Action starts with intention.

Compose better sentences. Use more powerful verbs and active voice. 

Simplify and be specific.  

Rhetorical Connection 

Language is power. "How you play reflects how you live. You respond to challenges or you don't."

Consider Aristotle’s framework. Integrate ethos - your credible personal identity; pathos - emotion; and logos - rational explanation. And Robert Cialdini’s lens (Influence), liking, authority, and social proof reinforce your arguments.

Be authentic. Show people who you are and become the person you want to be.  

Lagniappe. Make excellence your agenda. 

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Correction and Projection (Postseason)

AI doesn't play the games. It looks at the rankings and the polls and parses recent results. Then it discusses possibilities along the spectrum of results.

This isn't the Westminster Dog Show...pedigree doesn't cut it.

What did AI "hallucinate?"

Chat GPT Plus: 

The official MIAA schedule lists volleyball brackets for Tuesday, November 3, at 1 p.m., following the November 1 cutoff, not Monday.

The most defensible description is a resilient, increasingly versatile contender with an opportunity to turn a strong seed into a deep run. The next step is making its best volleyball more continuous. 

Microsoft Copilot:

Melrose is viewed as a legitimate Division 2 contender, likely deserving of a top-four seed, with a realistic path to a deep tournament run, but they still need to prove they can consistently defeat the elite programs such as Reading when championship-level volleyball is required.

Claude.ai

This is my read: miaa

• A top-4 seed is realistic, which should mean at least a home game or two early.
• Last year ended in the Round of 32, a 3-1 loss to Hingham. This team looks sturdier, with a young core and wins over Newburyport and Duxbury. maxpreps
• The ceiling looks like a deep run rather than a clear favorite’s path. Reading just swept them. The D2 rankings I found also show Oliver Ames, Reading, Barnstable and Canton among the top five.
• The three Division 2 losses to Woburn and Reading, the league’s other top teams, are the main concern.

Building the Metaphorical Muscles That Matter

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

Metaphorical muscles are skills that will serve you well over time in fostering success and avoiding disaster.

Enthusiasm

"Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm." 

Teamwork

Every great human accomplishment is collaborative. 

Risk management

"Life is about the management of risk."

Hard work

"Hard work is a skill."

Optimism

Optimism is part of your COTE of arms, "Confidence, Optimism, Tenacity, and Enthusiasm."

Positivity

"Nobody ever crafted a positive life out of a negative attitude."

Finding Mentors

"Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence." As Mr. Rogers said, "Look for the helpers."

Technology in Perspective

"Make every technology serve you." 

Human Nature

"Most people listed not to understand but to respond." We cannot control most of what happens to us, but we can control how we respond. 

Lagniappe. Be skilled, physical, and resilient. 

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Stats vs Methuen

Kills - Adriana 14, Elise 9, Sadie 7

Assists - Sadie 28

Digs - Anna 12

Received- Gen 14, Alisa 12

Service points - Anna 15

Pressing the Block

Blocks vary. Make them count.

Here Sabrina McArt times the block perfectly, 'gets air', and penetrates above the net into opposition airspace. This cuts off the angles and converts to set point at Methuen.

The play starts at 28:56. 

 

 

Carrying Water

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

"Seeing is believing." Watching MVB since 2002, I've seen and sometimes broadcasted the spectrum of Melrose Volleyball. This season, for the first time, I had the privilege of watching all twenty games.

The blog seldom "carries water" for an individual player. Today it departs from that principle. Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Daly said, "Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel."

Twenty-six seasons of MVB means studying a few hundred players, none more important than the setter, quarterbacking the team - setting, passing, serving, blocking, digging, attacking, and leading. 

She keeps countless plays alive through character and competence. 

Sadie Smith, 2024, after varsity promotion

Sadie Smith had as good a season as any in MVB setting history with a breadth of skills. Among the top ten in assists in Massachusetts all year, she competes. She leads. She excels in the classroom and on the court as do many MVB 26 student-athletes. 

Watch this play, broadcast last night, starting at 13:22.

She keeps the play alive and turns it into a hittable ball. She then tracks down and sets a winner.

She makes everyone around her better, impacts the game, and impacts winning - the requisites of an exceptional player. 

As Sean Connery said in Finding Forrester, "Remarkable." 

Trick or Treat? MVB 26

 

Happy Halloween! 

To Whom Should You Listen?

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely mine. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose institution.

Part of growing up is finding resources to help with decision-making and executing plans. A hierarchy of resources exists. Mr. Rogers famously said, "Look for the helpers." 

There are "reliable" and "questionable" sources. 

Start with "famous people." Think for yourselves. 

For example, as entertaining as Mark Twain's speeches are, they don't always represent "good advice." For example: 

"First, girls, don’t smoke—that is, don’t smoke to excess. I am seventy-three and a half years old, and have been smoking seventy-three of them. But I never smoke to excess—that is, I smoke in moderation, only one cigar at a time."

Artificial intelligence 

(AI) comes above with a caveat, AI "hallucinates" in response to prompts. How far do you want to trust hallucinations? In the words of President Ronald Reagan, "Trust but verify." 

The MVB Blog 

Slightly above Twain and AI is anything read here in the blog. First, it comes with a disclaimer and second, "don't believe everything you read." 

Your Eyes

You know the saying, "Seeing is believing." With AI and 'deepfakes' practically anyone can be made to appear to be saying anything. If you need proof, voila. 

 

Goldie and Frenchie share good advice but it's entertainment. 

Teachers

Teachers teach to the curriculum. For example, history texts are designed to sell in Texas. History to Texans can vary from history in Massachusetts (really). If you need more history information consider reading: 

A People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn)

Lies My Teacher Told Me (James Loewen)

Teachers are usually excellent sources but information can go out of date. Growing up, we learned there were nine planets in the solar system. Since 2006, Pluto became a 'dwarf planet', so now it's eight. 

Coaches 

If your coach wants a skill or a coverage executed a certain way, do it that way until your next coach wants you to do it their way. This can be negotiable, depending on the expertise and maturity of your argument. If your coach tells you "don't serve down the sidelines because the risk is too high," don't. 

Family

Your parents want what's best for you and have the most direct responsibility to and for you. They want what is in your best interest. Listening to this song will help save you time. 

 

Lagniappe. It's okay to be a "T-Rex" at the beginning of your attack but NOT throughout the attack.

 

 

Game 20: Melrose 3 Methuen 0

 Melrose capped the regular season with a road win at Methuen, 25-21, 25-15, 25-22. MVB completes the regular season with a 16-4 slate, having won 14 of the last 16. 

Methuen plays out of the uber-strong Merrimack Valley Conference. They are no stranger to competition, with MIAA Division 1 top six powers including Central Catholic, Chelmsford, and Andover. 

The match offered stakes for playoff seeding. Here were the Chat GPT Plus outcome estimates on power rankings:

What tonight’s Methuen result would do

Methuen’s updated MIAA rating is 2.1852. Holding all opponent ratings fixed, the calculation is:

{Melrose finish} {19(3.5514)+2.1852 + {set differential}{20}

This produces the following scenarios. These are sensitivity estimates, not a statewide recursive rerun:

Result at Methuen	Estimated rating	Most likely seeding implication
Win 3–0	3.6331	No. 3, with useful cushion

Melrose rolled out the usual starting lineup with Anna Burns and Gen Overlan splitting libero duties and Elise Marchais/Sabrina McArt at middle, Sadie Smith at setter, Adrian Santoriello and Alisa Dautovic all-six, Dani DiGiorgio DS, and Amelie Johnson right side.

Melrose came out slowly and trailed 13-9 before an Anna Burns service run put Melrose back in charge. Melrose got contributions everywhere, although I thought Sabrina was particularly active in the middle. As customary, Sadie Smith showed her complete toolbox of setting, digging, blocking, and even hitting to lead the way. 

Melrose owned the second set with an early 10-5 lead and never looked back. Again, a large cast of characters with offense from Adriana, Alisa, Amelie, Elise, and Sabrina. 

The third set informed some early trick or treat. Lorena Contin had some run during the set. Melrose led 17-10, only to surrender eight consecutive points to trail 18-17. Again, Melrose responded to take the lead at 20-19 and finished strong with a key win at the net late by Lorena. 

Melrose Notes: 

MVB got frequent driver miles this season with trips to Lexington, Watertown, Ipswich, Newburyport, and Methuen. 

As usual, Melrose fans turned out for both the varsity and JV followup game, which the youngsters won 2-1. 

Next week's calendar should be busy. Early Monday afternoon, seedings for the tournament come out. Monday afternoon, the league meetings will award recognition for high performance. 

Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, preliminary rounds complete. Melrose is likely to play their first round matchup late next week. 

Alisa Dautovic passed the 100 kill mark, finishing the regular season with 101...giving MVB four 100 kill players - Elise, Adriana, Amelie, and Alisa. 

TIA - Here's Why

Own a coaching and life philosophy - TIA:

T - teamwork, make everyone around you better

I - improvement, impact the game as a standard

A - accountability to process = impacting winning

Compete as though every day means "Prove it." 

Updated Power Rankings for 10/30

 

All the top teams are "name brands" with Woburn narrowly into the top eight. 

What every team wants is to play well headed into the postseason. Melrose can likely clinch the top four with a strong performance today. There's no "manipulation" to be had as everyone is tough in November. 

By the Numbers

“There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies, and statistics.” - quote variously attributed 

State Leaders: Sadie Smith has been in the top ten in assists all season and passed 500 for the season and surpassed 1,000 for her career. 

Adriana Santoriello breaks through the 300 career kill mark as a sophomore.

Melrose closes in on five attackers with 100 kills. Elise Marchais with 177, Adriana with 173, Amelie Johnson 104, Alisa Dautovic 95, and Sabrina McArt 80. None are seniors.

The team stands on the cusp of having six servers with 100 service points. Points as a percentage of serves can reveal stronger serves by placement, movement, or rotation. Ideally, getting about 60 percent supplies a strong statement. 

I've contended that you need three dynamic hitters to fuel a playoff run. That usually translates to averaging around ten kills/match with the potential for more. Let's look at the "stretch run" (eight games since 10/9) looking for trends (minimum 30 kills):

Elise        80 kills (10/match)

Adriana    90 kills (11.2/match)

Alisa        62 kills (8.9/match) *7 matches 

Amelie     39 kills (4.9/match)

Sabrina    33 kills (4.1/match)

Realize that different players have different responsibilities. For example, Sabrina and Amelie have larger blocking than attacking roles. 

Generally, primary blockers serve less and have fewer opportunities for receptions, digs, and service points. So, "raw statistics" don't always reflect contribution. 

The numbers argue that MVB is close to having the requisite number through attack distribution. 

Thoughts on "Attitude"

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

Former Villanova coach Jay Wright puts attitude at the center of success. It’s one of three standards that we own: attitude, choices, and effort. No opponent, official, or scoreboard can take them away. 

This plays out in a gym every day. A server steps to the line with the match tight and the crowd noise rising, and the ball finds the net. It happens to everyone. 

What happens next tells you almost everything. One player lets her shoulders drop, her eyes go to the floor, and she trudges back to her spot. She’s already deflated, and her teammates feel it.

Another player takes a breath, lifts her chin, claps once, and resumes her ready position as if nothing happened. Same miss, same moment. The difference is attitude; that difference travels. Body language is a billboard. Teammates read it, opponents read it, and the girl in the next rotation reads it too. You broadcast strength or weakness. 

That’s the Stoic standard: "control what you can control." You can’t control the referee, the bounce off the tape, or the hitter across the net who is having the match of her life. You control how you prepare, how you respond, and how you treat your teammates. Admiral James Stockdale carried that idea through years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, drawing on Epictetus. Character holds up in every gym.

Big asks of all:

Respect everyone; fear no one. Respect keeps you humble and teachable. Fearlessness lets you play free. Together they’re hard to beat.

Always do your best. This is the Fourth Agreement, and its genius is that “best” changes from day to day. On a great day it’s a lot. On a rough day it’s less. The commitment never changes.

Know that dragons can be slain. Neil Gaiman put it this way in Coraline: “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” The bigger opponent, the deficit, and the doubt are all dragons. The fight starts with believing they can be beaten.

Focus and listening are the first price paid to excellence. Pay attention and absorb what a coach or teammate is telling you. Gia told Sadie Jaggers, "It's easier to make a good pass than a great pass." 

Sacrifice willingly. The key word is willingly. Resented sacrifice is a burden. Embrace sacrifice as a commitment to something larger than yourself. 

Talent gets you noticed. Attitude decides what follows. It costs nothing; nobody can steal it. Bring it to every practice, every timeout, and every point. Prioritize attitude.

Lagniappe. Fight through fear. 

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"Kind" and Hard

In an age of bright and shiny objects, hacks, and fads it’s utterly refreshing, but not at all surprising, to see an obsession with craft and nailing the fundamentals rise to the top.

- Brad Stulberg

Read on Substack

AI Introduction:

A wicked domain is an environment where learning from experience is difficult because the rules are unclear or changing, feedback is delayed or misleading, and similar decisions can produce different outcomes.

Psychologist Robin Hogarth contrasted it with a kind learning environment, where patterns repeat and feedback reliably teaches you what works.

A "Kind" domain doesn't mean easy, although deliberate practice can improve the fundamentals underpinning the game. 

Data is feedback. Working your process is essential with clarity and specificity. 

• Practice serving to spots
• Reading the game is an edge. Anticipate the type and direction of serve or attack. 
• Focus. "Stops (defense) makes runs (offense)

Reading the game confers disproportionate advantage to players with the skill and athleticism to benefit from early recognition. (see Lagniappe)

Lagniappe. (Via ChatGPT Plus) "Sources of Power" informs life-and-death decision-making such as firefighting and military operations. Apply its lessons to your game. 

Gary Klein’s Sources of Power explains how experienced people recognize patterns and find workable responses under pressure. In volleyball, a setter sees a middle blocker leaning toward the pin and recognizes an opening. A defender reads the hitter’s approach and anticipates a tip. These decisions draw on accumulated experience: familiar cues suggest what is happening and what action fits.

Coaches can develop that judgment through realistic practice and brief questions: “What did you notice? What did you expect? What would change your decision?” Players learn to picture whether a response will work and adjust when the situation contradicts their expectations. The goal is thoughtful preparation that supports fast execution—seeing earlier, anticipating better, and acting with purpose.

Film study creates opportunity to accelerate learning. 

State Leaders

Maxpreps.com state leaders:

Kills:

Elise (#40) 177, Adriana (#42) 173

Assists:

Sadie (#6) 502

Digs:

Anna (#78) 190 

"Gritty not Pretty"

Sport mirrors society. Respect and perspective should extend into competition and sportsmanship.

One of the key "influence" principles is liking. 

Learn from others, even if we don't "like" them. Everyone offers a lesson—sometimes an example to follow, sometimes a mistake to avoid.

If someone watched how MVB played last night, what lessons might they take away?

1. Resilience. "Adversity is our companion."

2. Persistence. Coach Gregg Popovich's "Pound the Rock" advice applied. "If it takes a hundred hits to break it, pound the rock."

3. Body language. Body language communicates lessons to teammates, opponents, and coaches. "We live in the heat."

4. Stay the course. The plan included wearing down the middles with pin hitting. "Make them move."

5. "Use the whole field." Nobody can learn to "hit line" overnight. Make the defense defend sideline to sideline, net to endline. 

Dustin Hoffman's point..."don't judge people on their appearance." Melrose volleyball, "gritty not pretty." 

"Office Politics"

Create space for yourself with ability and reliability. These are not synonymous. Ability gets you on the court. Reliability keeps you on the court when the game is on the line.

Craft your own rules. Don't copy someone else's. Figure out what matters for you. 

Here are some to consider:

1. Build relationships. They make the team better.

2. MUDITA (Sanskrit - "Your joy is my joy." Celebrate others. 

3. "Share something great." Sharing builds societies. 

4. Learn every day. 

5. "Be a tracker." - Winners are trackers. 

6. Mentor others. "Mentoring is the only shortcut to success."

7. Lead. "Leaders make leaders." 

8. Have a gratitude practice. Every success had help. Thank others.

9. Work on communication - verbal, nonverbal, written. 

10.Protect your character and competence with hard work.

11.Network - give people a reason and a chance to help. 

Caveats: 

1. Not everyone wants you to succeed. "Prove them wrong." 

2. Look for opportunities to lead.

3. Journal. Write down important lessons you learn. They might become of your storytelling practice. 

4. Fall in love with truth. 

5. Work to be kind even when others are not. 

Regularly review and revise your plan. Keep the story moving as we search for personal growth. 

Lagniappe. 

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Stats v Woburn

Stats generally appear first on the Maxpreps.com app and then the website.

Kills - Adriana (21), Alisa (15), Elise (9)

Assists - Sadie (46), four with one 

Service points - Adriana (13), Sadie (13)

Digs - Sadie (18), Anna (11)

Receptions - Gen (26), Alisa (20), Adriana (17)

Triple Doubles: 

Sadie (assists, service points, digs)

Adriana (kills, service points, receptions)

Game 19: Melrose 3 Woburn 2

Melrose faced Division 2 #9 ranked Woburn (3.17) and outlasted the Tanners at neutral site Winchester, 20-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, and 15-10 to earn the consolation round win.

The win lifts Melrose's record to 15-4 headed into another tough road contest at Methuen on Friday, the final regular season match. 

The match proved 'seasonally appropriate' as it informed "trick or treat" volleyball with Woburn dominating early and Melrose controlling the action late. 

Woburn (13-6) features strong defense and solid attacking and has given Melrose fits this season.

Woburn controlled much of the first set as Melrose struggled with their size and blocking. 

In the second set, Melrose started to turn the momentum, although the Tanners had enough of a lead to hold on with a set-ending ace.

Melrose Coach Scott Celli made a lineup change in the third set, bringing on more height with sophomore Lorena Contin who had played well in the Newburyport match.

Gradually, Melrose found their footing and made strategic changes as well to limit the Woburn offense. Meanwhile, sophomores Alisa Dautovic and Adriana Santoriello began finding the range with a variety of attacks from the pins. 

In the fourth set, it was more of the same with solid defense from the back including Gen Overlan and Dani DiGiorgio, strong setting from Sadie Smith and key winners from Elise Marchais, forcing the fifth set tiebreaker. 

Woburn led 2-0, 4-2, and 8-7 at the switch in the tiebreaker. But Melrose stayed in the fight, with key winners from Alisa and Adriana. Melrose edged out ahead 12-9 and Woburn scored to bring them within two. A Scott Celli timeout encouraged a service error and Alisa Dautovic closed out the scoring with strong serves. 

Melrose notes: Arguably, this was the best comeback on the season, one noted for strong opposition as Melrose is among the leaders in the Division 2 Opponent Rating (strength of schedule). 

The win reflected both solid team volleyball and resilience, coming back after having lost five sets this season to a quality Woburn team. 

Three keys to the game were better defense down the stretch which throttled back opponent runs, serving that forced Woburn into out-of-system play, and moving the attack away from the middle where Woburn had fierce blocking. 

Going into the final few days of the regular season, Melrose holds a narrow power ranking edge over Hingham, Longmeadow, Canton, and Barnstable. 

As usual, Melrose was led by the all-around excellence of setter Sadie Smith, the quarterback of the offense and an exceptional defender. 

Sadie had 46 assists, Adriana 21 kills, Alisa 15, and Elise 9.