Game 15: Melrose 3 Duxbury 2

Matinee idols...

Melrose faced the dragon's lair, escaping with a 25-17, 17-25, 26-28, 26-24, 15-7 win in Duxbury. Only a ferocious comeback in the fourth set fashioned the improbable win. 

The win over the MIAA D2 7th-ranked Dragons (11-4, power ranking 3.22) raised Melrose's record to 12-3. 

Melrose raced out early with superior offensive and defensive volleyball and captured the set handily.

Duxbury returned the favor in the next stanza, with improved defense creating better offensive chances. The hosts left no doubt that MVB was in for a long afternoon. 

Duxbury held an edge for most of the third set until Melrose tied it late at 22. With Melrose leading 26-25, they had a chance to close out the set but an attack soared long and Duxbury capitalized with the 28-26 set win.

The Dragons continued their dominance into the middle of the fourth set. A Scott Celli timeout trailing 13-19 allowed Melrose to rally. Melrose narrowed the gap, but Duxbury regained a big edge to 17-22. Melrose went into high gear at that point with a combination of big plays and Dragon errors. Melrose managed to even the score late on an Amelie Johnson "rainbow" kill to the corner and held serve to win 26-24.

The fifth set brought more of the same. Melrose took a 3-0 lead and a Duxbury timeout shaped a counterattack. Teams traded points and Duxbury held a 8-7 edge at the break. But Melrose knotted the score and rode an Elise Marchais service run to a lead. With the score at 12-9 (IIRC), Johnson delivered another dagger to go up 13-9. Melrose scored again followed by a Dux rally to 14-11. Sabrina McArt, who was immense, delivered the final point off a perfect quick set by Sadie Smith, and the ball fell harmlessly to earth. 

Both teams continually refused to yield as much of the second half played under narrow margins. 

Melrose overcame adversity with aggressiveness and grit, as MVB struggled a bit with consistency under Dragon service pressure. Once again, attack distribution among Elise, Adriana Santoriello, Alisa Dautovic, Sabrina, and Amelie kept Duxbury off balance. 

Liberos Gen Overlan and Anna Burns faced down many tough attacks along with DS Dani DiGiorgio. 

Melrose notes:

Coach Scott Celli described a "great win" in postgame comments. The adversity overcome on the road by his young but experienced team marked another signature situational win. 

Former Melrose setter Amanda Labella (MVB 2003) was in the crowd with her daughter Bella.