Game 12: Melrose 3 Woburn 0 and Novel Ideas for Better Volleyball

Melrose interrupted their road swing with a three-set 25-6, 25-12, 25-12 victory over Woburn. The Lady Raiders played with a lot of energy and the general level of enthusiasm in the gymnasium and on the bench definitely has increased.

The victory raises Melrose's record to 10-2 and they remain undefeated in the league. For the league to increase its competitiveness, I would recommend that each team play every team in the league ONCE (11 games) and fill out the remainder of the schedule with nine to eleven other games. If a team wanted to schedule another Middlesex League opponent again, that would remain an option and perhaps restore those stronger, traditional rivalries (e.g. Melrose-Reading). Weaker or less experienced teams could also schedule teams that might be more competitive for themselves.

Consider a Melrose schedule like this:

11 Middlesex League games
2 games (home and away) with Bishop Fenwick
2 games (home and away) with Arlington Catholic
1 game (alternating sites) with Central Catholic
1 game (alternating sites) with Ursuline
1 game (alternating sites) with Westborough
1 game (alternating sites) with Andover
1 game (second game) with Reading

That creates a twenty game schedule with at least half the games highly competitive.

Consider the NDA Schedule. They play historically strong Ursuline, Medfield, and Frontier twice. They play "legacy programs" Barnstable, Westborough, AC, Melrose, and Canton one game apiece. The players enjoy a better experience, the fans see more competitive matches, and the team is far better prepared for post-season play. Traditional rivalries are preserved and new rivalries are developed and enhanced. It's a win-win situation. Yes, Melrose would probably not have as many twenty win seasons, but that has never been a benchmark for coach Celli and his staff.

Melrose details are available here.

Division 2 rankings are here. These are incorrect as somehow Notre Dame Academy has disappeared from the rankings.

Yesterday's box score versus Woburn is here.

Tomorrow, Melrose plays Winchester (one of the stronger Middlesex League teams) at 7:00 P.M. at the McCall School (Winchester).