With Opening Night against Bedford a mere month away, Coach Scott Celli and Melrose volleyball contemplate how to succeed.
Melrose has had an abundance of both young and veteran players in the Pumas program and others playing for the Smash offseason teams.
Considering the major skills (serving, digging, passing, setting, attacking, and blocking), each team must identify pathways to success.
The best teams excel at all skills and concede nothing in any area. Defense anchors the Lady Raiders. Melrose has strong blockers in Rachel Johnson, Kayla Wyland, and Sarah McGowan. It returns power hitters in Sarah McGowan and Jen Cain. Brooke Bell has the setting covered and is a superior defender along with Amanda Commito and Jill MacInnes in the back row.
The questions for the coming season who fills the shoes of outside hitter for the graduated Jill Slabacheski and who replaces Middlesex League MVP Alyssa DiRaffaele's back row/libero spot.
All-State middle hitter Sarah McGowan looks to play "all-around" including the back row and junior Jill MacInnes similarly competes for that strong side hitting spot along with senior Sydney Doherty who delivered in crunch time in last year's semifinal tilt with Longmeadow.
All players know, however, that every spot is potentially open and it seems that each season an unheralded player emerges to make major contributions in both play and leadership.
After the opener with Bedford, Reading comes to town in an attractive first week matchup.
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