Marauders Sacked, 3-0.

Melrose traveled to Belmont and took home a 3-0 victory. The Lady Raiders (2-0) started slow and built from there.

Game 1 began with alternating 4-0 runs, with Melrose striking first and then a knot at four. There was seesaw action until 9 all and then Melrose went on a 16-3 run to win 25-12. Laura Irwin and Hannah Brickley each had a pair of kills.

Game 2 was similar with the score even at five before Melrose took the train to Blowout City, winning 25-11. Colleen Hanscom piled up the assists with five kills apiece (unofficially) for Laura and Hannah and singletons for Siena Mamayek and Jill Slabacheski.

The final stanza proved to be a quick 25-8 affair. Laura added another five kills, and six different players were credited with kills.

Melrose reduced their number of service errors today, with six overall, three long and three into the net. The team will be working to get sharper as they play Burlington and AC later this week.

AC usually provides stiff competition for Melrose, although Melrose's rise to a Division II North power has come partially at the expense of the Cougars. The 2003 defeat of AC at Andover in the Division II North sectional final remains one of the top victories in Lady Raider history, helping to fuel the rivalry between the two.