Game 1: Melrose Sinks Buccaneers, 3-0

Melrose opened the season with a workmanlike 3-0 victory at Bedford.

Bedford led 1-0 and 2-1 before the Melrose offense got in gear. Jill Slabacheski had a trio of early kills en route to a 10-2 lead on the nine point Melrose run. The Lady Raiders extended the lead to 17-3 and coasted to a 25-10 set win. Two service errors marred the performance.

Unofficially Melrose had 7 kills, including a pair apiece for Sarah McGowan and Jen Cain.

Set two saw an early tussle, with Melrose tied at 3 and leading 6-5 before another nine point run cleared the decksat 15-5. Setter Brooke Bell had a trio of kills along with McGowan, and Cain added a pair.

Melrose substituted liberally overall and took the set 25-16. The red and white had ten kills for the set and again a pair of service errors.

For the most part Melrose went with reserves in the third set, sprinting to a 7-1 advantage and leading box to wire with a 25-21 edge. There were only seven kills in the game, four for McGowan, two for Rachel Johnson, and one for Kayla Wyland.

Lady Raider Notes: Melrose travels to Reading Friday in a possible battle for the Middlesex League title in the league opener. Reading always has a strong team and returns a tall and talented team led by Melissa Dal Pozzo and Olivia Healey, with plenty of help from a solid supporting cast. Reading was 13-1 in the ML last year, tying Melrose for league honors. Like Melrose, the Rockets had a young team last season and will be a formidable opponent.

Sophomore Jill MacInnes saw a lot of time in the back row during the season opener.

Sarah McGowan has the stuff to be a key attacker for Melrose this season.

Moms (and Dads) are always some of Melrose's biggest supporters.

Statistics courtesy of Dick Collis. File photographs courtesy of Don Norris.