Middlesex League Championship: Winchester 3 Melrose 0

 

Hard losses fuel championship dreams. Winchester (13-0) brought back four players from the State Championship finals and had the juice to capture the Middlesex League title with a 25-19, 25-21, 25-18 sweep at Winchester.

Melrose (12-1) played well but Winchester's "A Game," replete with robust hitting and stingy defense, especially blocking, stymied Melrose's title hopes. 

Melrose lost the Division 2 state championship final in 2011, serving as fuel for a return in 2012 with championship results. 

Melrose constantly looked for solutions and ways to get its attack untracked, but the Sachems' consistent aggression thwarted efforts to score winners. And teams with title ambitions have to win points as champions seldom give them away. 

Autumn Whelan had a big afternoon at libero, seldom a good sign when your defense leads the headlines. In their senior swan songs, Emily Hudson (11 kills) and Eva Haralabatos (25 assists) had solid good-byes. 

Hudson and Elena Soukos had eleven kills apiece and Abby Hudson added a hard-earned six.

Lady Raider Notes: It was not a dispiriting loss as overall Melrose demonstrated many high caliber skills, particularly on the defensive end as Winchester kept punching. 

Melrose graduates four seniors, Hudson and Haralabatos, Grace Sanderson, and Sofia Centrella. They return ten of the fourteen member squad and six top of the rotation players including sophomores Chloe Gentile, Emma Desmond, and Gia Vlajkovic. The cupboard remains stocked. 

Player development is the holy grail of sustained competitive advantage. Growing the triad of athleticism, skill, and decision-making separates the top teams. Coach Scott Celli remarked, "this group made tremendous progress as the season went on...fun team to coach." 

Melrose will be back in September with more than a puncher's chance.