Game 5 Melrose 3 Wakefield 1

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Melrose hosted Wakefield before a large crowd and outfought the resilient Warriors 25-21, 25-15, 24-26, and 25-19.  

Kayla Wyland's Wakefield club came in 4-1 with a three game winning streak looking to upset her former club. The win lifts Melrose to 4-1. 

Coach Celli continues to tinker with the lineup, with Alex Homan getting more time as a designated server and taking advantage of it.  

Melrose largely had control of the first set with both consistent play and a number of service errors by the visitors. 

Melrose continued a slight advantage in set two, leading 18-15 when a Gigi Albuja service run of seven point triggered a 25-15 win. 

Wakefield battled back in set three despite Melrose's best effort. Level at three, Melrose's defense with Leah Fowke and Grace Gentile making athletic saves to keep the ball up. 

Video from MHS-tv

Trailing 5-9, Coach Scott Celli took a timeout, propelling Melrose to a 13-12 edge before a Wakefield comeback. 

Up and Comer Highlight: In set three, trailing 23-24, Sabine Wenzel shows her potential as an attacker. 

Video from MHS-tv

Melrose largely controlled the final set with generally more consistent play. Leading 12-7, Melrose stretched their edge on a joust won by Leah Fowke and a smash by Sadie Jaggers. 

Melrose closed it out from there. 

Melrose notes: Former Melrose All-State players Marissa Cataldo and Elena Soukos were in the house. 

At the quarter pole, the lineups and rotation are still in 'discovery phase'. Some less experienced players like Sabine Wenzel and Abby Dennison have shown growth and my quarter season MVP would be Leah Fowke.