Standings and Stats Update

ML12 Standings in a bunch after the leaders. 

Statistics from Wilmington Match

Life and sometimes volleyball stats are like a box of chocolates.

You Are Agents of Change

Wake Forest Men's Basketball Coach, Steve Forbes, gives an incredible motivational speech ahead of their upcoming season pic.twitter.com/PAlwo0PlPC

— Dudes Posting Their W’s (@DudespostingWs) September 22, 2026

I'd rather show young women videos of great speeches by women. There's tremendous 'selection bias' toward male media. And videos like this, however true, perpetuate that.  

You are agents of change. Do better. Tomorrow you face the Rams. 

Unadulterated Truths

"At the highest level in the final minutes of any tight game or in finals and playoffs, it’s not the team who makes the biggest plays that prevails, but the one that makes the least errors. Anyone can inflict pain, but those who can endure hardship and tough times best will succeed." 59 Lessons: Working with the World's Greatest Coaches, Athletes, & Special Forces" by Dr. Fergus Connolly

The principal 'edge' of old age is experience. "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." 

The best students aren't always the smartest. They are those who focus, study effectively, manage time, and keep going when others quit.

Notice any similarities with the best athletes? 

Practice

Warm up with the intent to loosen muscles and avoid injury. Practice with intent. Direct every serve with purpose. Read every server, setter, hitter, and ball with the belief that will make you one step faster, one step better. 

Focus

Disallow distractions. Don't be thinking about texting your friends or your Spanish homework. Be present in the moment. Focus is a superpower. 

Study the Game

If you don't have game video to review, ask yourself what you could do better. Maybe it's placing your serve more accurately or intentionally. Maybe it's communicating so "no ball hits the floor." Maybe it's closing the block quicker. Give yourself grace and commit to continual improvement. 

Play Harder for Longer

Canadian basketball coach Dave Smart says that the best teams have the ability to "play harder for longer." Be in superior condition. If that means a few sprints after practice, do it. In basketball there's a drill called 17. You only do this drill when you're completely healthy. Some of you should not even think about it now. 

Sprint sideline to sideline across the width of the court 17 times. The objective is to complete these repetitions within one minute. It's one minute of all-out effort, challenging yourself. Maybe you can't do 17 but can you do 15? Or do the drill for sixty seconds and seek your personal best. The first time will be your best. 

In the fifth set, you will know that you trained harder than your opponent.  

"The best" are frankly, a little bit crazy. To push yourself harder for longer and to do it consistently makes you different. 

Lagniappe. Kaizen 

First, the ChatGPT "McKinsey Slide" (3 second impression)

Then the "long form." 

View on Threads

 

 

 

 

 

Game 6: Melrose 3 Wilmington 0

Melrose swept Wilmington 25-7, 25-11, and 25-13 at the MVMMS to extend its winning streak to three games.

The win raises Melrose's record to 4-2. 

Part of the "A-Team" returned to action with Alisa Dautovic and Adriana Santoriello both saw expanded duty as they return from injuries. 

Milestones were met as Leila Kiggundu and Mia Sasso both made their varsity debuts and recorded kills. Leila missed all of her freshman season and a quarter of this year with injury.

Every Melrose player saw action. 

MVB established its game early with offense from multiple players including Amelie Johnson, Elise Marchais, Sabrina McArt, Adriana, Alisa, and Sadie Smith who unofficially had four kills from the setter position. 

The second set illuminated the skill set of Leila as she served and set giving Sadie some deserved relief. 

Melrose Notes:

The Pixellot camera system is currently not operational, limiting home broadcasting to labor intensive manual camera operation. 

Melrose hosts the unbeaten Lynn Classical Rams Thursday. The Rams currently hold the #3 slot in the Maxpreps.com ranking system in Division three. There is an early start at 5 P.M. 

Interesting games on the ML12 schedule today including Burlington at Wakefield and Woburn at Belmont, so the standings could see Melrose move into the top four. 

Wakefield won the opening set 25-20.

Belmont shut out Woburn 3-0. 

Winchester topped Lexington 3-0. 

A Critical Part of High School Sport Experience

Learning about leadership is an important part of your experience. Understand what leaders do and how. 

• Leaders help people be seen and heard.
• They put people in position to succeed.
• They add sport-specific value and set high ethical standards.
• They provide mastery and structured preparation.
• They make everyone around them better.

Former UNC women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance had players read The Leadership Moment, nine curated stories of extraordinary leadership. It would be excellent summer reading.

One of my favorites was Arlene Blum leading an all-women's expedition to summit Annapurna, one of 14 Nepalese peaks over 8,000 meters. Two women summited and two died trying. Women have the capacity to face the challenges, endure the hardships, achieve greatness, and suffer the same consequences as men.  
  

Creating Advantage

Two things that have always stood out for me when walking in to an organization or team for the first time:

1. Energy never lies - the first person you encounter sets the standard. it’s either attractive or repulsive

2. Attitude — it’s either welcoming or threatening.

— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) September 22, 2026

Ecosystem, the totality of a program's environment, matters. Coach Scott Celli and his staff bring the same energy and positivity today that have been fundamental for three decades. 

In her Hall of Fame induction speech, Sarah McGowan emphasized how welcoming the program was, even for her as a young camper. Upperclassmen never "bigfoot" young players. There has never been a "kiss up" and "kick down" mentality to overcome. 

Does that mean that everyone is happy with their playing time or role? Of course not. Everyone should want to contribute and be prepared to capitalize when the chance comes. 

Navigating Hard Conversations Comes with the Territory*

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

 

Hard conversations in coaching are the sounds of inevitability. Do better through study, preparation, and attitude. Some of us feel a need to "win" every conversation or negotiation. That leaves negative residue and our conversation partner must therefore "lose." 

Show empathy (work to understand how the other side feels) and seek perspective through more tools. 

Alison Wood Brooks provides the acronym CALM, not without irony.

C - confirmation

A - admit uncertainty (can lower the temperature)

L - learning

M - making it human

The acronym itself embraces preparation and perspective. 

Confirmation

This represents an effort to get on the same page. These are the facts as best as I can tell. Help me by sharing your understanding. Changes in a player's role or playing time often get seen as either threatening, punitive, or personal. 

Admit Uncertainty 

As coaches, we prioritize what is best for the team as our first objective. It's not always clear. The "good soldier" senior doesn't want to hear that the talented sophomore is 'stealing' their spotlight. We could say, "I know this is hard for you to hear, especially with how hard you've worked. Some changes are coming that affect you, and we'll see how that works out for the team." 

These conversations should be well considered, always held with another adult present, and be private to limit potential for shame or embarrassment.  

Learning

We can't know everything. We can work to understand whether other factors lurk in the background - injury, family, academics, bullying, or any of a hundred possibilities. 

Behavior is data, not always explanation. Sometimes an explanation exists, but exploring for it makes everyone involved uncomfortable. 

Make it Human

Coaches practice our art amidst complexity, with incomplete information, and can't separate feelings from the process. Emotion is often uncontrollable (e.g. sadness), but behavior is. We can be frustrated with another person, but we can't punch them in the face. 

With younger players, often the fact-finding avenue has to run through the parents. Let them know that we are on their family's side and ask whether issues exist that we should know about. Nothing guarantees positive reception, but understanding can only arise through mutual participation.

I'd be kidding readers and myself if "perfect conversations" were my standard. Most parents are reluctant to say, "I hate you and your coaching." That doesn't make them wrong. Certain approaches don't work well for everyone. For example, an aggressive style may not work for a less forceful or physical child. Most parents appreciated a holistic approach. Not all.

Sources:

MasterClass, Chris DeVoss (author Never Split the Difference)

MasterClass, Alison Wood Brooks

Lagniappe. Here's an AI take on Voss's likely tack:

1. Label the emotion before arguing the facts.
   “It seems like you’re frustrated.” “It sounds like you feel you haven’t been given a fair chance.” Voss’s point is that naming emotion tends to reduce its intensity. In coaching, that matters before you explain playing time, role, effort, or behavior.
2. Use calibrated questions.
   Instead of “Why aren’t you communicating?” try: “What’s making it hard for you to communicate right now?” Or, “How do you think your current approach is affecting the team?” These invite reflection without surrendering standards.
3. Get to “that’s right,” not “you’re right.”
   “You’re right” can be a conversation-ending concession. “That’s right” means the player feels accurately understood. Summarize her position so well that she recognizes herself in it before you move to your point.
4. Use an accusation audit.
   Say the negative interpretation out loud before the athlete does: “You may think I’ve already made up my mind,” or, “This may feel like I’m singling you out.” That takes some of the sting out of the objection and shows you are not avoiding the uncomfortable part.
5. Don’t confuse empathy with agreement.
   This may be the most important coaching lesson from Voss. Tactical empathy means understanding the player’s perspective, not endorsing it. You can say, “I understand why you’re disappointed,” and still say, “Your role is not changing right now.”

For a coaching blog, I’d probably distill the whole thing to:

Hear first. Label the emotion. Ask better questions. State the standard. Leave dignity intact. 

MVB Entertains Wilmington Today

MVB looks to extend a two-game win streak, hosting the Wilmington Wildcats today.

Melrose hasn't been at full strength yet and Coach Scott Celli will likely have "load management" as an ongoing priority. 

 

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.  

View this post on Instagram

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.