Scrimmage Observations: Seeing Red and the Halls of Triple E

Melrose hosted Central Catholic in a preseason scrimmage that left fans optimistic about good things ahead. 

Success is the rule not the exception for the Lady Raider v-ballers. 

Central Coach Gannon Paris annually leads an athletic, skilled, tall club so Melrose expected a challenge. The teams played four twenty-minute periods without scorekeeping in the sweltering Veterans Memorial Middle School gym. 

Senior Emma Randolph (left) showed her considerable skills and Freshman Chloe Gentile (center) previewed a bright future in the middle. 

First, always apply the "mental model" of sample size. Grand judgments demand caution based upon eighty minutes of volleyball. Questions to be answered in the preseason include: 

1. Can the setters bridge the experienced defense and offense? 

2. How is the early season defensive positioning and communication?

3. What is the overall skill level after another year of experience? 

4. What offensive or defensive adjustments occur?

5. What's the force of the offensive attack? 

The setting trio of Eva Haralabatos, Kiki Kiernan, and Autumn Whelan had few hiccups during a solid performance both offensively and defensively. Saturday's Medway play date against top competition, including Newton North, Medway, Bishop Feehan, and Concord-Carlisle affords Coach Celli and staff more data. 

Few balls hit the floor because of miscommunication or traffic. Early, loud, and often communication informed defensive synergy. 

A consistent defense had very few serve receive errors or shanked balls. All-State libero Nicole Abbott was exceptional and key defenders Mary Kate Mahoney, Erin Torpey, and Emma Randolph all were solid. Sofia Centrella was strong in a reserve defender role. Offensively, the game looked more like midseason play than a scrimmage a week into practice. 

Melrose's offense, historically described as vanilla by some pundits, showed versatility with new wrinkles and repositioning of several standouts. 

Melrose added a number of formidable attackers who broaden their capabilities. "Triple E" (Emma Randolph, Erin Torpey, and Emily Hudson) all performed well. Chloe Gentile leads the "player to watch" list in the middle. Elena Soukos is an outside hitter with a future. Grace Sanderson is long with a big swing. Top to bottom, those six players may constitute the strongest quantity of hitters since the breakthrough 2003 season. 

Overall, the Lady Raiders left an impression, something to build upon with a host of early season challenges on the schedule both within and outside the Middlesex League.