Aggressiveness - Find Balance

Skill, aggressiveness, and consistency matter. What separates aggressiveness balancing timidity and recklessness? 

“Aggressive means committing to a good decision. Reckless means taking a risk the situation doesn’t justify.” If the ball is below the top of the next and you're standing, physics defies a good swing. Ball goes into the net. 

Both can produce mistakes. The outcome alone doesn’t tell you which it was. A well-chosen swing can go out; a poor choice can land for a kill.

Here's an AI breakdown:

Situation	Aggressive	Reckless
Hitting	Attack the opening with a committed swing.	Force a low-percentage shot despite a poor set and a waiting block.
Serving	Serve with pace or placement you can reproduce, challenging the receiver.	Chase extra velocity beyond your control without a sound reason.
Defense	Read the play, move decisively, and pursue the ball.	Abandon your responsibility on a guess or pursue through a teammate.
Out-of-system play	Make the strongest controlled play available and prepare for the next contact.	Try to manufacture a spectacular kill from a ball you can barely reach.

Aggression should match the situation. A good set welcomes a hard swing. A tough set may call for a deep role shot, a power tip, or sending a downball that lets your team recover. Each requires intent and commitment. 

Volleyball is a thinking person's game; quality playing and practice experience helps your decision-making. 

Processing and Execution

Most sports combine processing and execution. An analogy comes from Air Force Colonel John Boyd, dogfighting tactician who developed the "OODA loop" concept - observe, orient, decide, and act.

Volleyball distills to see, read, choose, and execute.

The defender sees the server's or attacker's approach, reads the type and direction of attack, instantly deciding on a course of action (e.g. platform or overhand dig), and executes. 

Or the attacker sees the setter, reads the ball, repositions the attack type and location, and strikes the ball. 

Fill your toolbox by improved processing (volleyball IQ) with the required skill, athleticism, and competition that differentiates you. 

Skill without the athleticism doesn't get a player to the ball. Better 'reading' the play upgrades your toolbox. "Competitive character" allows you to play harder for longer, regardless of the situation. 

Grow your game long term:

• Watch video and reading players during practice and while on the sideline
• Work on platform skills, attacking, blocking, setting, serving - emphasizing skills you use the most
• Build more athleticism
• Upgrade focus and mindfulness to become more resilient

"Automate" plays via working memory. During practice, work on your mechanics, but just as during a golf swing, in games swing don't think. 

Lagniappe. Exceptional players want coaching. 

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"Boston Globe" Volleyball Tournament Preview

The Boston Globe shared its tournament preview.

An abbreviated response is, "If I were qualified to write my own, then I should be doing that."

Oliver Ames is the defending champion and deserves their roses. Barnstable (18 D1 championships) with HoF Coach Tom Turco (800 wins) always belongs in the conversation. 

Author A.J. Traub gives a nod to Adriana Santoriello as a Player to Watch. Fair enough. 

Here's the schedule via MassHSVB.com 

 

Postseason Starts Friday at 4:30 at Home in the Round of 32

 

Defense or Offense?

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Teams succeed when nobody cares who gets the credit. In team sports, both defense and offense must work together seamlessly.

How? 

• Get everyone on the same page.
• Communicate. 
• Be a supportive teammate
• Practice intentionally. If it's serving practice, have a target. 
• Listen. Be coachable. 

And "never let go of the rope." 

You Can't Do What You Can't Do

Stay out of your own way.

Maybe it’s serving, setting, or digging. Everything is going your way.

You’re not playing over your head. You may be playing to peak ability but “you can’t do what you can’t do.”

Performance relates to both decisions and execution. When both are “in the zone” or “in flow,” exceptional play happens.

You can’t put “lightning in a bottle” but can show confidence and positivity from the opening whistle.

Blending attitude, aggressiveness, and consistency informs remarkable play.

Here's an AI take on "getting off to a fast start." 

Fast starts are often the result of what happened before the first whistle.

1. Reduce the Time Needed to Reach Competitive Arousal

Some teams walk into the gym emotionally flat. Others arrive overexcited and make unforced errors.

The goal is not maximum energy. The goal is optimal energy.

Questions:

• Is the pregame routine consistent?
• Is music helping or hurting?
• Are players mentally prepared for the opponent?
• Do players know exactly what the first five points should look like?

Many teams need 15 points to settle in. Great teams are ready on Point 1.

Exceptional players show up early. 

2. Win the First Battle

Teams often think about winning the first set.

That's too large.

Think smaller:

• Win the first serve-receive pass.
• Win the first transition ball.
• Win the first free ball.
• Win the first rally longer than five contacts.

Small wins create momentum and confidence.

Competition is won possession by possession, ball by ball. 

3. Simplify Early

Teams sometimes start matches trying to do too much.

Early in a match:

• Serve in.
• Communicate.
• Pass high and inside.
• Take smart swings.
• Eliminate cheap errors.

The objective is to establish rhythm before pursuing perfection.

John Wooden often emphasized that confidence comes from preparation and execution. Early execution builds confidence quickly.

Simple is hard...and trainable. 

4. Practice Starting

Many teams practice volleyball.

Few teams practice starting.

Examples:

• Begin drills at 22-22.
• Start scrimmages at 0-0 with consequences.
• Track the first five rallies of every scrimmage.
• Award points for winning the first sequence.

If starting fast matters, it should be practiced.

Novel approaches can help. 

5. Leadership Must Show Early

The first few points are often emotionally contagious.

Players watch:

• Body language
• Communication
• Response to mistakes

The reliable leaders on the team should be visible immediately.

This connects directly to your recent reliability post:

Your body language is a billboard for your confidence and self-belief.

If the first missed serve produces slumped shoulders and silence, the team receives a message.

If the first mistake produces immediate communication and refocus, the team receives a different message.

Concluding Thoughts:

Fast starts are rarely about motivation. Think preparation, clarity, and habits. There no "on" switch. You have already done the work necessary to be ready before the first serve is ever contacted.

Middlesex League Honors for Melrose Student-Athletes

ML12 coaches met to recognize individual achievement following completion of the regular season.

League All-Stars 

• Sadie Smith
• Adriana Santoriello
• Elise Marchais
• Anna Burns

All Conference (Top 6)

Sadie Smith

Freedom Division MVP

Sadie Smith

Congratulations to all on the well-deserved recognition.  

 

 

 

Brackets and Teams

MIAA released the brackets and team rankings. Melrose will face the winner of Westwood and Leominster. 

 

Improbable

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

 

When the seedings land this afternoon, Melrose will not be the favorite. Nor should they be. 

Reading and Oliver Ames have been the class of Division 2 all season. Sport teaches lessons about improbable. 

And "don't get ahead of ourselves." In 2024, Newton North was the 31 seed in Division I soccer.

 

Respect every opponent. Fear none. 

 

Regular Season Recap

The regular season is history. Everyone starts the "second season" 0-0. 

Tuesday afternoon (1 PM) Melrose learns "bracketology 2026" via MIAA power rankings. 

After losing two of the first three matches (Reading, Winchester), Melrose went 15-2 with losses to Woburn in league play and Reading in the ML12 Tournament. 

Three teams in Division 2 finished out of the top 32 but with records of .500 or better. That makes it likely that there will be three "play-in" games on Wednesday. If Melrose finishes as a three seed, it is likely they host the winner of the #30 seed versus their play-in opponent. The #30-32 teams are tightly bunched so it's hard to project who that might be. 

First Quarter

Early in the regular season, Melrose worked through injuries with Ella Friedlaender, a talented right side, lost for the season. Alisa Dautovic was on a "pitch count" with a lower body injury and Adriana Santoriello was limited with an upper body injury. 

Melrose faced road contests in four of the first five matches and rounded the quarter pole at 3-2 with an important win against a talented Lexington team. 

Second Quarter

Melrose went undefeated in games 6-10, playing opponents with lower power rankings, except for an important win at Newburyport, at the top of the D3 table at the time. That proved to be a 'signature win' for the young Melrose team.

Third Quarter

Alisa ramped up her minutes moving from back row and serving into all-six status. The start proved disappointing as a tall and talented Woburn dominated Melrose from "box to wire." MVB rallied from that with consecutive 3-2 wins against Belmont and Duxbury, the latter a top ten D2 team (ranked #9 on 30 October). 

Fourth Quarter

Down the stretch MVB had good wins against Wakefield, Marblehead, Woburn, and Methuen despite a first round loss to top-ranked Reading in the ML12 tournament. 

Melrose was 7-3 on the road, 8-1 at home, and 1-0 at a neutral site, the comeback win versus Woburn. The club showed resilience with a 3-0 record in 3-2 matches. 

Numerous matches simulated "playoff atmospheres," notably the ML12 Tournament, as well as matches against Wakefield, Belmont, and Duxbury. 

Competitive Arc

Fool's Gold says, "Melrose is much-improved from the early season." So is every other team in the tournament. 

MVB 25 struggled to close out games against quality opponents. In the post-season, stronger opponents offer less "charity" (unforced errors) requiring Melrose to score more, limit runs, and remain resilient in close sets. 

Every team must "provide answers" against good teams. Top teams do not give games away, while finding more offense. 

Lagniappe. Talent isn't enough. 

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The W's Are Good and Bad - Worth, Wonder, Weakness, Wrong, Worry

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help us with self-reflection. AI can be conversational, critical, or complementary. It gives us what we ask for. 

Worth

Where's the added value? 

One answer: Everyone can lead with positivity, effort, and encouragement. Recognize that to earn playing time, players have to make tangible contributions. Everyone gets a chance; not everyone can initially take advantage of that. 

Wonder

What's new, different, and possible?

One answer: Blend youth and experience with joy. "Your joy is my joy."

Weaknesses

Everyone has blindspots. What are ours? 

One answer: Volleyball is about scoring points and preventing points. 

Wrong

Where am I mistaken, ill-informed, or just wrong?

One answer: Via Sun Tzu and Bill Belichick, "Utilize strengths and attack weaknesses." Put opponents in a difficult position as often as possible. 

Worry

What should we worry about? Are there pitfalls or obstacles that we haven't seen?

One answer: Show strength in character and competence. Don't put coaches in position to worry about off-court behaviors. 

Here are AI edited pieces (via Claude.ai and Google Gemini)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help us with self-reflection. AI can be conversational, critical, or complimentary — it gives us what we ask for. So I asked it to push back, not just agree. Here's where that took us, through five questions worth sitting with.

Worth Where's the added value? One answer: Everyone can lead with positivity, effort, and encouragement. That's value any player can add, regardless of role or stat line.

Wonder What's new, different, and possible? One answer: Blend youth and experience with joy. "Your joy is my joy."

Weaknesses Everyone has blind spots. What are ours? One answer: We can lose sight of the scoreboard. Volleyball, underneath all the culture-building, is about scoring points and preventing points.

Wrong Where am I mistaken, ill-informed, or just wrong? One answer: Via Sun Tzu and Bill Belichick — utilize strengths, attack weaknesses. Put opponents in a difficult position as often as possible.

Worry What should we worry about? Are there pitfalls or obstacles we haven't seen? One answer: Show strength in character and competence. Don't put your coaches in a position to worry about off-court behavior.

AI can help us self-reflect, acting as a conversational partner that challenges how we think about the game. Let’s break down the reality of the court using five critical checkpoints.

1. Worth: The Truth About Playing Time

Everyone can lead with positivity, effort, and encouragement—that’s the baseline. But to earn the jersey on game day, you have to make tangible contributions. Everyone gets a chance, but not everyone is ready to capitalize on it initially. Hope is not a strategy; production is.

2. Wonder: The Joy Factor

What’s new and possible? Imagine a squad that perfectly blends raw youth with veteran experience, bound together by a single philosophy: "Your joy is my joy." When a teammate's success feels like your own, the ceiling disappears.

3. Weaknesses: Strip Away the Noise

We all have blindspots. If you are getting lost in complex rotations and advanced metrics, remember the brutal simplicity of the sport: volleyball is entirely about scoring points and preventing points. Period.

4. Wrong: The Tactical Myth

Where do teams get it wrong? They focus so much on themselves that they forget the opponent. Borrowing from Sun Tzu and Bill Belichick, the objective is to utilize your strengths to attack their weaknesses. Put the opponent in a difficult position as often as possible.

5. Worry: Protecting the Culture

What should keep us up at night? It’s not just the missed serves. It’s the off-court variables. Players need to display such high levels of character and competence that coaches can focus entirely on the game, never worrying about off-court distractions.

Leaders of the Pack - Mixed Metaphor Monday

"There is always a pecking order." - Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra

The best teams find player-based leadership. Captaincy doesn't promote hierarchy or resume-building, but serves the team.

Think metaphorically: A = B or leadership = service.

A popular misconception shares wolf leadership structure as battle and dominance. Research shows a more nuanced "family" organization led by a breeding pair, their older progeny, and younger pups. 

Here's the 411:

• Parents guide group activities, including travel, food gathering, and protecting the pups.
• Older offspring help support the family, while younger wolves learn from their parents and siblings.
• Many young adults eventually disperse, seeking a mate and territory where they can establish their own family. They don’t ordinarily need to overthrow a parent to become a breeding wolf. 

In most organization, natural 'tension' exists among those at various levels - leadership, ascending players, and younger players "learning the ropes." Veterans - lead your team whether between the lines or on the sidelines. Young players - absorb the experience and become the positive culture. 

Successful teams function as a unit, producing melody and rhythm together - everyone playing their part. The lead violin gets more attention than the person playing the triangle, yet both animate the music. 

The stakes rise in the postseason. Each game represents the potential "last ride" together. Contests demand the highest level of focus on each play. 

You noticed improved play from the JV late in the season. More experience played a role, plus something JV Coach Ryan Celli asked from the players. "Just give your best effort on every play." 

That blends two themes - "always do your best" and "next play." Talent, toughness, and togetherness make teams a "tough out." 

"The strength of the wolf is the pack."

Lagniappe. What's your sign? 

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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