Tonight the Lady Raiders opened strong with 6-1 and 9-2 leads over Stoneham (13-7) and never looked back against a much-improved Spartan team. Unofficially, Kayla Wyland led with four first set kills as the lanky lefty played one of her best games. Sarah McGowan added four of her own along with a pair apiece for Rachel "The Rock" Johnson and Jen Cain.
The second set held more of the same with Melrose never trailing after a tie at 2. Stoneham never got closer than 7-5, thanks to exceptional defense from the back row, led by Amanda Commito, Jill MacInnes, Allie Nolan, and Cassidy Barbaro. From 8-5, Melrose went on a 9-2 run, and although Stoneham closed to 20-15, a late surge closed out the Spartans.
Sarah McGowan had eight kills with one apiece for Rachel, Kayla, and Annalisa DeBari. .
The final set saw ties at 3, 4, and 5, followed by a 15-3 Melrose run as Stoneham got worn down and made a lot of mistakes. Once again, it was too much Sarah McGowan (three kills) and four from Kayla leading the charge, with a pair from Brooke Bell including a solo block/kill for her highlight package.
Game Analysis: Melrose had too much talent, too many hitting angles, and too much Sarah McGowan and Kayla Wyland. Stoneham improved, but lacked enough hitting to challenge seriously.
If , in fact, Newton North beat Barnstable, then Melrose has a chance to claim the top spot with a Senior Night win next week.
No comments:
Post a Comment