Game 9: Melrose 3 Stoneham 0

They say "you can't go home again." That's not exactly true, as Coach Scott Celli and the Lady Raiders stopped in Stoneham long enough for a three set victory.

Everyone available on the roster played a lot and well. Coach Celli mixed and matched a lot of players throughout the match.

Jill Mercer's smooth serve (16 serves, no errors) and solid defense and Bella Federico's net play stood out for me.

Elsewhere in the Middlesex League:

Melrose continues its road swing Friday at always tough Central Catholic at 6 P.M. Melrose and Central have played some great matches over the years with both teams having their share of big wins. 

More Snaps

Photographs courtesy Steve Karampalas; click shots to enlarge.

Recently minted Melrose Hall of Famer Hannah Brickley stops by.

ML Standings

From The Boston Globe

Game 8: Melrose 3 Watertown 0

Melrose expanded its win total to seven with a straight-set win at Watertown.

Melrose is in the midst of perhaps its longest road streak ever with five road games in six contests. Wednesday Melrose has another Middlesex League match traveling to Stoneham.

I didn't see the latter half of the NDA game, but was impressed in the first half of the match of the team's willingness to hit out. Successful teams attack and play decisive volleyball. Indecision and tentative play inform unsuccessful teams.

MaxPreps Rankings and More

Six wins and a quality loss give the Lady Raiders a top 10 Maxpreps ranking. 

Some of the usual suspects at the top...including Bishop Fenwick and Coach Adam DeBaggis. 

MaxPreps has a formula, FWIW. 

Performing Under Pressure - Part 2

More specifics on Performing Under Pressure, the excellent book from Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry, cross-posted from RonSenBasketball. 

An excerpt:

7. Breathing.
Another principle from Jason Selk was proper (centered) breathing...controlled breathing...slow inspiration (6)/breath hold (2)/slow expiration (7)

Game 7: ND Academy 3 Melrose 1

The top-ranked team in the state, Notre Dame Academy (Hingham) came in and taught the young Lady Raiders a lesson or two with a four set victory.

They overwhelmed Melrose early as their schedule (few league games) affords them the opportunity to face as many of the top teams in the state that are willing to face them.

Melrose rallied back with a spirited second set to even the match, but the huge visitor front line kept Melrose from scoring, despite their hitters hammering away.

Photos courtesy of Steve Karampalas. Click to enlarge.

Melrose goes back to the court today at Watertown.

Performing Under Pressure

Cross-posted. It's not the Crusades. Today's opportunity is just that, a challenge to bring your best...one play at a time.

It's On

It's on. Melrose entertains Notre Dame of Hingham today at the Middle School Veterans Memorial Gymnasium. NDA holds the top spot in the Maxpreps.com state rankings of teams having played at least six games as of yesterday morning.

Volleyball fans are in for a treat and Melrose is in for a test as they'll find out what they need to improve to compete against the best teams in the state in the post-season.

Game 6: Melrose 3 Wakefield 0

"All hands on deck." Everyone played at least two sets as Melrose tuned up for today, downing Wakefield 3-0.

Victoria Crovo led the way with a dozen kills.

Snaps

Photographs courtesy of Steve Karampalas

Maxpreps.com comes out with rankings when teams have played a minimum of six games. 

First Look: Pics

Steve Karampalas shares volleyball shots. I'll post a variety. Click to enlarge and see the entire frame.

Melrose looks to retain the grip they've enjoyed on the Middlesex League in volleyball since 2000.

Game 5: Melrose 3 Burlington 0

Melrose extended its unbeaten streak to five with a straight set victory over visiting Burlington.

Season Statistics

Melrose has upped both the quality and the percentage of serves.

Update

Melrose moved to 4-0 with a victory over Wilmington.

Middlesex League standings from Maxpreps.com

Division 2 standings from Maxpreps.com

Kills leaders Division 2.

Game 3: Melrose 3 Lexington 0

Melrose went on the road for the first time this season handling Lexington its first defeat as the Lady Raiders advance to 3-0 overall and in Middlesex League play. 

Junior co-captain Victoria Crovo delivered eleven kills and Hannah Mulcahey nine as Melrose racked up 32 kills. Setters Lily Fitzpatrick and Emily DiPietro each handed out double-digit assists, and the team put up a season high serving percentage of 97 percent. 

The Boston Globe ML volleyball scoreboard. 

Upcoming Schedule

Boston Globe Top 20

Imagine That

Some people play an imaginary game, "if I ruled the world." There's the guy who said, "If I ruled the world, everyone would have to be nice to cats. And if they didn't, ooh, they'd really have it coming. Pow." Not sure that I want to play THAT game. 

But imagine you had two weeks to prepare for the biggest TEST of your life, be it academic, emotional, athletic, psychological. How would you prepare and whom would you want in your corner? 

Whether we realize it or not, we're always preparing for that challenge. What resources are we using? How do we measure progress? What's your process? 

Whether you couldn't care less about basketball, this cross-post might help. A growth mindset, work ethic, and partnering (collaboration and mentoring) belong in your toolbox. 

Latest Update

Melrose defeated Arlington in straight sets, 3-0, at the Middle School Gym.

The team prepares for their biggest challenge to date Monday at Lexington. Melrose defeated Lexington 3-1 last season in their only matchup.

Statistics can be deceiving. The more competitive the match, the higher the number of kills likely. Many teams have played more games around the country as schools often start in mid-August.

Middlesex League statistics from Maxpreps.com.

Lady Raider Notes:  Who are they? The Boston Globe volleyball preview came out today. <crickets>.

Organizational Culture

On the primacy of culture...cross-posted.

Melrose hosts Arlington today sometime around 5:15, following the Junior Varsity game.

Stats from Wednesday's match against Belmont.

Game 1: Melrose 3 Belmont 0

Melrose opened the 2015 volleyball campaign with a 3-0 win over Belmont in the 90 plus degree heat of the Veterans Memorial Middle School Gymnasium. Melrose captured individual sets 25-13, 25-16, 25-8.

It's unfair to call a victory pedestrian amidst the heat and humidity. Belmont returned optimistic after a 16-6 season in 2014. Melrose debuted a new offense, brings youthful experience, and features a plethora of hitters both inside and outside. Any observer would require a much bigger sample size to project the season.

Wherever possible, a more 'macro' view of the match will follow. First, one can analyze the core 'paired skills' of volleyball - serve/serve receive, hitting/blocking, digging/passing (including setting). The opponent and game flow dictate what skills dominate. Tonight, Melrose served aggressively, winning points not only on aces but a host of 'free balls' converted into attacks.

The lions' share of attacks came from co-captains senior Marissa Cataldo and Victoria Crovo, and senior Hannah Mulcahey. The third senior, Meagan Leyne also presents a formidable offensive threat at the net. Setters Lily Fitzgerald and Emily DiPietro showed a lot of consistency setting the outside, middle, and back row. Cat Torpey and Saoirse Connolly chipped in from the opposite.

A host of Melrose servers racked up points for Melrose. Lily, Lydia Lombardo, and Meagan all looked strong on the service line.

The defense wasn't heavily challenged but K-Mac (Kaitlyn MacInnes) was solid at libero, Katie Donovan earned her first varsity start as a defensive specialist, and Victoria and Marissa added value in the back row.

Juniors Bella Federico and Julia Symonds saw action in the middle, and sophomores Jill Mercer, Lydia Lombardo, and Daniela Cataldo showed poise and potential.

Melrose Notes: Melrose hosts Arlington Friday. Sources say that in addition to a revamped offense, Melrose has ramped up conditioning at practice. At least for today, Melrose adopted the 'standing' bench posture. This can occasionally result in a more playable surface along the sidelines.

Here's the early season schedule from Maxpreps.com .