Melrose hosted Senior Night and Wakefield (#14, Division 2) and escaped with a 3-1 win, 24-26, 25-20, 26-24, and 25-14. Equally big was the return of coach Ryan Schmitt from extended deployment.
The win lifts Melrose to 13-3 and secures an ML12 in-season playoff matchup with Reading at Winchester (details when available).
Many "Freedom Division" games, like NFL division games, play "tight" as familiarity breeding contempt. Wakefield had proven their mettle earlier this season with a win against perennial D1 power Newton North.
Before the game, the program honored seniors Maggie Shoemaker, Kayla Ton, and Anna Burns. Two of the three (Maggie, Anna) are "Sister Acts" with older sisters having graduated the program.
Melrose got off to a quick 5-0 deficit and struggled to find a rhythm in the first set. The hosts couldn't find either consistency or aggression for much of the set. Melrose did have leads, including at 24-23 but couldn't finish. Melrose committed unforced errors over the next three points sandwiched around a Wakefield attack.
The second set went better as Melrose ramped to a 7-0 edge before a Kayla Wyland timeout for Wakefield. The Warriors crept back in to knot the score at 18 before a costly service error. Wakefield retied at 19. Then, a pivotal point ensued, as Sadie Smith got hands on an attack and Elise Marchais came up big with the "gotta have it" kill.
"Maverick" then posted a pair of aces to go up 22-19 and Wakefield took a timeout. Sabrina "Air" McArt followed with a kill...Wakefield scored to make it 23-20 before Alisa Dautovic struck back with a kill and the Amelie Johnson-Sabrina tandem finished with a block kill.
The third set evoked Dickensian misery with "A Tale of Two Cities" as it was the worst of times as Wakefield burst out 9-1, only to see the best of times as Melrose recovered to lead 13-11. Wakefield regained the lead at 16-13 but Melrose scrapped back. Leading 23-22, it was more Marchais mayhem delivering a winner.
Wakefield won the next hard-fought point to level at 24. Another Marchais dagger got Melrose the lead at 25-24. A Wakefield tip sailed wide and Melrose owned the set.
The final set was anticlimactic as Melrose momentum carried the day.
Melrose Notes:
Melrose again showed resilience, coming back from deficits. That's a recipe for disaster in the postseason.
A number of MVB stalwarts struggled at times, although they recovered as the match went on. Two who didn't were Elise and Adriana Santoriello who both delivered timely kills and service dominance.
The largest crowd of the season appeared, getting rewarded with a resilient if not esthetically pleasing win. Lots of legacy parents on hand including Niko Soukos, Paul and Kathy Johnson, and Gary and Nancy Fowke. Apologies to luminaries not seen and noted.
Former Melrose star Rachel Johnson now assists Kayla in Wakefield.
Melrose hosts Marblehead (#19 in Division 2) Friday.
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