Round of 16

Winning on the road challenges most teams. On the road against an unbeaten team? 

Longmeadow prevailed 25-19, 26-28, 17-25, 25-21. 

Melrose got off to a slow start trailing 4-0, forcing a Scott Celli timeout. After battling back to trail 6-5, unforced errors put Melrose in a hole, leading to a 14-6 Longmeadow lead. 

Melrose fought back with Leah Fowke serving narrowing the gap to 15-10 before a Lancer attack landed. At 16-10, Melrose recovered to 16-12 before a Lancer setter dump scored.

Sofia had a nifty attack for a winner and later got an ace.

Trailing 18-14, Melrose got aced and then received a service error. Trailing 19-15, Melrose has an attack error before a Lancer attack violation narrowed it to 20-16, but a service error ensued, then Longmeadow tooled a block and Melrose attacked long, then wide. At 24-16 Melrose rode a Fowke attack to 24-17. A Turner ace followed and a setter error for Longmeadow. A service error gave the Lancers the set 25-19. Longmeadow won the serve-receive first set battle and had some stellar back row defense off hard attacks. 

Melrose evened the second set at 1-1 off a service error only to have the Lancers have a strong middle attack followed by a Melrose error. 

Gg Albuja evened a 3s with an ace followed a Fowke winner and a LM error. Melrose up 5-3 with an LM winner to 5-4 and a Sabine smash to Melrose 6-4. 

A pair of points put Melrose up 8-4 before a LM short ball fell in and LM got an ace to 8-6. A service error got Melrose the serve back. 

A Papatsoris smash put Melrose up 10-7 followed an LM tool winner and a Melrose error. 

LM evened at 10 with a great block in the middle, then a Melrose attack error. A long rally with great Turner defense led to an LM winner and a timeout trailing 12-10. At that point, Melrose was playing 'uphill'. 

LM followed with an ace. Papa delivered a kill before a Melrose violation got LM a point, then an LM winner to 15-11. 

LM served long then attacked wide. 15-13. A Sabine block won a point before a back tip got LM to 16-14, then 17-14 on an error. 

Sabine smashed a winner to narrow to two before a LM dink scored. 

At 18-15, Lead scored cross-court. Despite great defense, LM scored a winner and an ace off the tape to go up 20-16. Timeout Melrose. Service error out of the timeout. 

A freshman Sadie Smith winner rescued a point to get to 20-18. Timeout, Lancers.

Papatsoris with two winners, level at 20. Service error, Melrose, then Papa block 21s.

LM error, Melrose up but a tight pass evened it. LM up 23-22 on a middle attack with their big girl... then an LM ace. 

Papa with a great cut shot to bring Melrose to within one. Timeout LM at set point, up 24-23. Sabine blocks to tie. 

And SABINE again with a monster block. Great line push by LM to tie at 25. 

LM goes ad-in with another divine line, then LM serves out looking to ace. 

A good LM attack puts them ad-in. And a Melrose error gives LM the set 28-26. Melrose down 2-0 with cohesive play and toughness. Highly competitive, just didn't make enough plays. 

Sabine roofed to open the third and LM answers...twice. But even at 2 and their big girl smashes a winner and then they get another 4-2, LM, then a short ball for another. A Melrose error widens the lead and Scott Celli takes their first timeout. 6-2 LM.

Papa delivers another winner. Marchais enters. The frosh get valuable experience. 6-4. LM block kill, 7-4. Another Papa kill and a Papa ace. 

Then Sabine with a block kill. Sevens. Setter dump for LM for the lead and Sabine answers back...and again. Melrose 9-8. Unsure if block or error, but up two, then another Sabine block. 11-8, Melrose.

LM with a cut shot winner then an ace. 11-10. Melrose attacks long. 11s. 

SABINE kill. Gg ace. 13-11 Melrose. LM error. SABINE again. Melrose service error. 15-12. 

LM tools the block for a point. Then wins a long rally. 15-14, Melrose. Sabine wins at the net. Papa block 17-14. Papa winner. Timeout, Melrose up 18-14. Maggie T ace. Service error, 19-15. 

LM service error, 20-15. 

Papa delivers on the overpass. Papa block kill. 22-15, timeout LM. 

Leah with an ace. LM brings a winner. 23-16 then serves into the net. Melrose error 24-17. 

Papa again delivers a kill. Melrose 25-17, trail 2-1. The kids, Burns, Smith, and Marchais seeing a lot of high pressure action. 

LM opens set 4 with a winner. SABINE responds with a blast, then Leah. Official timeout for Longmeadow injury. Smith with a winner. Melrose 3-1. PAPA with a kill. Melrose net error then LM winner 4-3, Melrose. 

Papa winner. Ditto, Melrose 6-3. And a block! LM line winner. 7-4 then a high hands winner, 7-5. LM winner and again 7-7. 

Papa winner. Then Marchais winner. Good LM attack to bring it to 9-8. Another Papa winner and Sabine rotates back in 10-8. Melrose error. LM error 11-9.

Sabine smash. Melrose service error. 12-10.

LM block at the net, then ace 12-12. Sabine monster block and LM error. 14-12. Leah (?) kill 16-12, timeout LM. 

Sabine smash. LM responds 17-13.

Melrose error. Timeout, Melrose 17-14. LM middle smash 17-15. LM ace then Melrose error. 17s. LM service error 18-17. 

Papa winner. Melrose net violation 19-18.

Melrose error, close! 19s. LM block, LM up 1. Timeout, Melrose. Papa kill to tie on a slide attack. 

LM winner. 21-20 and a block to go up 22-20. Melrose hits a downball out. 23-20. Papa winner. 23-21. 

LM match point. LM wins. 

Longmeadow stays unbeaten and advances to Elite Eight. Noble effort for Melrose.