Monday, September 10, 2012

Game 3: Melrose 3 Woburn 0

Melrose hosted Woburn at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School in the latter's inaugural season of Middlesex League volleyball. The combination of Melrose's tradition and Woburn's inexperience led to a pedestrian victory 25-1, 25-10, 25-4.

There is little to say beyond that Melrose played its first rotation in set one and reserves the rest of the way.

Jill MacInnes had a 23 point service run in the first set, likely the second longest in Melrose's history after Marianne Foley's 28 against Hamilton-Wenham in 2003. Melrose had six first set aces, no service errors, and a dozen kills including half a dozen for Sarah McGowan and a brace for Kayla Wyland and Sydney Doherty.

Set two and three saw fewer kills and a plethora of aces as Woburn struggled with serve-receive.

Alyssa Abbott took over for libero J-Mac for sets two and three and played solidly, and Rachel Johnson and Stephanie Crovo each put up a pair of kills in the second stanza.

Sophomore Crovo added four kills in set three ably abetted by a trio from junior Annalisa DeBari. Melrose also played service error-free volleyball in the set.

Game Summary: Program development is a painfully slow process at times requiring infrastructure, community support, inspirational coaches who attract quality athletes, and commitment to success by athletes who embrace the sport with out-of-season play.  Today's action simply reflects a mature program, currently ranked third in the Boston Globe poll, confronting a nascent one.

Melrose travels to Lexington Wednesday for a 4:00 P.M. varsity start.


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