Melrose worked on legacy building, with a come-from-behind 17-25, 25-17, 27-25, 25-20 win over Arlington Catholic, propelling them to the Division 2 North final Saturday at Whittier Tech. This marks the Lady Raiders' first return to the sectional final since
AC was a different team than September's Cougars, whom Melrose rolled 3-0.
The first set was all AC as the visitors dominated. Melrose struggled to get any rhythm and even a timeout at 8-10 went unanswered. AC opened the lead from 12-15 to 13-20 and Melrose got no momentum into the second set.
But the second set turned lagging into legacy as Melrose went out to a 12-6 lead before AC took a timeout. AC got four of six points to narrow the lead to 14-10 before Melrose ran the lead to 20-13. From 23-14, AC fought back with late points before symmetrically succumbing 25-17.
The third set approached classic status with multiple momentum shifts. The Cougars went out early 6-2, spurring a Melrose timeout. Melrose responded with a 13-6 run, leading 15-12 with hard hitting especially from senior Saoirse Connolly and sophomore Emma Randolph. Add in a major contribution from Lydia Lombardo and Melrose seemed poised for big things. Melrose edged out to 20-13 and 24-20 advantages before a remarkable AC rally got them a 25-24 set point. But Melrose fought it off, and three consecutive points clinched the 27-25 overtime win.
The final set began with Melrose making a series of spectacular digs from setter Lily Fitzgerald, Nicole Abbott, and Jill Mercer keeping AC at bay, allowing a tie at 3. Outside hitter Erin Torpey had a nice kill to open an early 4-3 lead but it was back and forth with ties at 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, and 19 with two costly service errors for the Cougars. Melrose finished strong with six of the final seven points, with Emma Randolph get a key tip to bring the lead to 24-20. AC got a good look for a middle attack but it went wide and Melrose iced a trip to the finals.
Game analysis. AC consistency and Melrose nerves earned the Cougars a strong opening set win. Coach Scott Celli made some minor adjustments, bringing in freshman Emily Hudson for more height and blocking and that cooled the AC attack. AC showed a lot of heart with an exceptional response to adversity, but Melrose's consistency and better back row play carried the day. After a rocky start, the primary back row players (Nicole, Jill, and setter Lily Fitzgerald) dominated. Melrose's willingness to pace the serve made a critical difference over the course of the match. Mary Kate Mahoney contributed key service points as well during multiple runs.
It's hard to measure the impact of Melrose facing lower tier competition in the opening and quarterfinal rounds. The truth was that AC was a far superior and improved team early, hardly reminiscent of the September visitors.
Faces in the crowd. Alumnae Marissa Cataldo and Amanda Commito were in the house, as well as coaches Adam DeBaggis and John Fleming.
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