State Leaders

Maxpreps.com publishes updated state leaders. 

Kills:

Elise Marchais ranks #48 with 67.

Assists:

Sadie Smith checks in at #6 with 211

Digs:

Anna Burns en fuego at #24 with 102 

More Than Meets the Eye

Bring your writing to life. 

Writing serves many masters. Empower your storytelling. You must earn skill; nobody awards it. 

Hemingway said, "Writing is easy. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."

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Neal Allen and Anne Lamott share "Good Writing," awarded New York Times Bestseller honors. The book amplifies Mr. Allen's "36 Rules."

A partial table of contents:

Strong sentences shoulder the load, as powerful verbs chop adverbs and adjectives. "See Spot run" works for Dick and Jane. "Spot raced around the course, prepping for the days when helicopter assaults exhausted everyone except him." 

Write so well that everyone believes that AI wrote your story. Bring readers tears of agony or ecstasy. Craft stories that keep readers engaged and turning the page. 

Overcome the 'tyranny of the blank page'. Then let it sit. Some authors like Joyce Carol Oates allow a piece to marinate for months. She revises the draft into finished craft. 

Sometimes, you will struggle to finish a piece. Just as in volleyball, keep going. Finish the job. 

Remember, "the strength of the wolf is in the pack." 

Lagniappe. Protect your standards. "Leave the jersey in a better place." 

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Newburyport Today

Today's action is why you play. Melrose (6-2, #3 in D2 MIAA rankings) travels to Newburyport (9-0, #1 in D3 MIAA rankings).

Big opportunity for both clubs to battle quality opposition. 

The Clippers notched meaningful wins against potent Lynnfield and Marblehead. 

Melrose wants to build on recent wins as it returns players from injury. 

The game is broadcast on the NFHS Network (subscription). 

Good Lives

"There is no shortage of good days. It is good lives that are hard to come by." - Annie Dillard in The Writing Life

The principal advantage of youth is the expectation of having a long life to accumulate experiences and wisdom. Having a philosophy to guide you along that path helps create those good days and good lives.

An ICU physician's assistant asked those he met for an idea. He didn't specify from what domain. Perhaps he got recipes for Brussel sprouts, movie or book recommendations, or famous quotes. I told him, "share something great."

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Your Volleyball Life

Drink deeply from the wellspring of coaching around you. You never know when a nugget of wisdom will change everything. It might be, "Speak up. Don't be a church mouse." The best ideas, unseen and unheard, are invisible and wasted. Or as Gia told Sadie Jaggers, "Make a good pass, not a great one." Good passes won't become overpasses or trap the setter at the net. Or "press the block."

Your Home Life

My father described some children as "street angels, house devils." Make your first priority being a good person everywhere - home, school, sports. "How can I help?" crafts a lot of good will. Thank your family for the opportunities that allow you to become the person you are today. 

Your Academic Career

A patient came in with a complex problem and a difficult personality. The two best answers are often "I don't know, but I'll find out" or "That's a good idea, we should do that." Mine was, "I'm just a simple suburban doctor; you need to go to Boston." She said, "We both know that's not true, I do my research." 

Your "burden of proof" is your track record. You cannot plead ignorance. The seniors left early last year for National Honor Society induction. Many of you 'frequent' the "Excellence" list or Honor Roll at MHS. "I do my research."

The Mr. Robinson Standard 

You are not an island, a recluse, or a "lone wolf." What you do impacts those around you - what you think, what you say, and what you do. As the poet Maya Angelou said, "People will never forget how you made them feel." None of us can choose to be perfect; all of us can choose to be better. 

Lagniappe. Shoulders are vulnerable to the forces applied to them. Warm up well. 

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Rescuing a Point

There's a saying, "Nobody is coming to rescue you." On point 27 of the third set, Adriana and Alisa save the point.  

Stats Are Up - Melrose vs Arlington

Link

Attack: 

Alisa (8), Adriana (8), Elise (7), Amelie (6)

Assists:

Sadie (24)

Serving: (Points)

Anna (14), Elise (14), Dani (10)

Team Serve Percent 85

Digs:

Anna (13), Dani (9)

Receives:

Adriana (12), Anna (11)

The Only Poll that Matters (It's Early)

The MIAA released its initial volleyball power rankings. Five ML clubs appear in the top ten.

The MIAA poll incorporates 'margin of victory' (set differential/matches) and strength of schedule in its rankings.

Ask "what's next?" Control what you can control - your attitude, choices, and effort. 

 

More Highlights

Legendary basketball coach Pete Newell said that the coach's greatest responsibility is to help players "see the game."

In practice, "pass, set, hit" follows "vision, decision, execution." UNC soccer coach Anson Dorrance (22 NCAA titles) preached showing positive highlights. 

Using the 'original' Pixellot footage, you have the option to slow the replay to study technique. 

"Sundance" gets on top of a smash. 

Adriana wipes the block.   

Elise understands the S's - short, sidelines, seams, or soft defender

Dani speaks softly and gets the job done.

Maggie wins a joust.

"Gotta have it point." Alisa finishes. 

Playing with force, Adriana scores. 

Elise shows positional versatility and power.

Empowered (Use Your Platform)

Student-athletes are role models. What you think, do, and say matter.

The 'win-loss' record matters, but it's not the whole picture. Advocating for women's empowerment comes with the territory.

Always Do Your Best (the Fourth Agreement)

Every serve, attack, or dig won't be perfect in practice or in competition, whether it's high school or the Olympics.

On day one, Coach Ellis Lane laid out the priorities: 

• Family
• Academics
• Basketball

As seniors, Karen and Paula (a.k.a. KP) had some sports success. And all six seniors on the basketball team made the Honor Roll. "How you do anything is how you do everything." 

Take Care of Your Body

Lauren Fleshman, former NCAA and Nike runner, wrote "Good for a Girl," an important book for athletes and coaches. Girls are not boys with a different chromosome. She pushes for self-care for women athletes and truth-telling. 

Prioritize enough sleep. Student-athletes should get a minimum of eight hours of sleep. 

Eat right. Teens don't control everything in their diet. Adequate protein intake (1 - 1.5 grams/kilogram) is a target. Eat more fruits and vegetables. 

Hydration. "Dehydration" (volume depletion) shows up first as fatigue before thirst. Make the water bottle your companion and use it. 

Recovery. After practice or competition, develop a recovery routine. That could include a thermal contrast shower, foam rolling, as well as hydration and diet. 

Lead

Upperclassmen set the tone. Find opportunities to lead and track them. In your journal, express your private thoughts and how you responded to leadership opportunities. 

Leaders control what they can control. There's an old saying that "you can't fool dogs, kids, and volleyball players." Everyone can lead though focus, hard work, and never being a distraction. 

Be seen and heard. 

Lagniappe. High contact point and trunk rotation both are important attack elements. When competition starts, focus on the game, not technical aspects. The great golfer or hitter can't think about their swing "in the box." 

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ML12 Standings

Just over half of the ML12 regular season stands completed. Winchester and Reading lead and then a tangled pack with Melrose, Burlington, and Belmont all at 4-2. 

Melrose faces Belmont, Woburn, Wakefield, Stoneham, and Watertown in the second half of the ML12 campaign. 

The MIAA releases its initial power rankings today for more clarity. 

The Maxpreps.com site lists the Livestream games via the NFHS (subscription) network. 

 

Connection

Exceptional teams connect with their fans. They deliver emotion and premium performance.

In 2003 nobody expected Melrose to sweep 22-0 Arlington Catholic, which had not lost a set all season. A topspin smash by Denise Applegate finished the Cougars. Melrose entered the sectional title business.

In 2009, Melrose upset Barnstable, the  "brand name" in Massachusetts volleyball. A signature win catalyzed the start of a four-peat of sectional titles, ending with a State Championship. 

Fans connect when they feel they become part of the story. "They" become "we." Teams earn energy from the fans and return it. The experience became infectious. 

Great stories often capture unexpected success. Being 'too small', 'too young', or unknown sometimes helps. 

Build a brand connection one fan at a time. 

Rules Broken Down

Everyone needs rules. Interpretation helps. 

First, from former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, his list of 13 Rules:

Let's explore Rule No. 1, "It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning." 

Love your losses

"Losses are lessons." Postmortem analysis informs us of where we need to be better. This confirms General Hal Moore's rule, "There is always something more you can do." Some wins reflect triumphs of the spirit. Appreciate even the more pedestrian ones. 

Deep dive 

Track your results. Was the issue scoring or defending? We don't control points clearly won by opponents or gifted by their errors. If the error was not scoring, was it serving, attacking, or blocking? If it were serving, was it an error, location, or pace and movement? 

Categorize problems

Coach Kevin Eastman suggests four possible solutions:

• Do it better.
• Do it harder.
• Change players.
• %$&# it ain't working (change strategy).

Sleep on it

Abraham Lincoln wrote "Hot letters" to generals or politicians whose actions frustrated him. At the bottom he wrote, "Never signed, never sent" and filed them. Emotion can cloud our judgment. "Hold fire" to let cooler heads prevail. Or as James Kerr wrote in Legacy, "Keep a blue head." 

Thinking: Fast and Slow

Behavioral economist Danny Kahneman wrote Thinking: Fast and Slow. People have a rapid response thinking system to avoid immediate danger...so called "System 1" or "reflexive" thinking. And we have a deliberate process, "System 2" or "reflective" thinking. It's often better in the morning after we think about the problem. 

Powell's Rules followed a lifetime of experience across many domains. He served as an Army General, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, National Security Advisor, and Secretary of State. Good leaders multiply experience as they surround themselves with great people. 

Create your own rules and share the best ones. 

Lagniappe. Coaches help you explore outside the comfort zone. 

Tom Brady: “You need coaches that push you outside your comfort zone because that’s how you grow and that’s how you develop self confidence and self esteem. They push you to deal with failure.” pic.twitter.com/yGwDhNbzaa

— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) April 19, 2026

Lagniappe 2. Another in the series of "women being seen and heard." Kara Lawson says that it's not going to get easier. 

Game 8: Melrose 3 Arlington 0

Arlington created more than a few headaches for Melrose last season and did so again tonight as Melrose won 25-12, 27-25, and 25-22. When Melrose was challenged they made enough plays to win.

The win lifts Melrose to 6-2, 4-2 in ML12 play.

Melrose dominated early, cruising to an easy first set win. 

In these two points, Elise Marchais showed her versatility with a pair of kills. 

Towards the end of the frame, Melrose scores three consecutive points. First, Sabrina McArt with the smash, then a pair of Adriana Santoriello kills sandwiched around a diving miracle by DS Dani DiGiorgio. There was no hint that the Spy Ponders would put up more resistance. 

The second set was "gritty not pretty" as Melrose inconsistency carried the set into extra points after a furious comeback. 

At 25-all, Arlington makes an error then after three attacks by Amelie Johnson, Melrose finishes the set with an Alisa Dautovic kill. 

The third set saw MVB play better but not their best ball. 

Down 0-4, Amelie blasts a winner. She looks like "Disney" on the court- the happiest place on earth. 

Underwater 5-7, Elise Marchais fires an ace. 

Melrose held leads through much of the set. At 23-22, Arlington served wide and on the ensuing serve, Arlington was called out of rotation in an unfortunate conclusion to the match. 

Melrose Notes:

Three up

Elise Marchais scored with versatility on attack and service, with three consecutive aces at one point. 

Dani DiGiorgio made several diving digs to rescue points on the defensive side. 

Gen Overlan excelled defensively and on serve, a steadying force in what was sometimes a gale. 

Wednesday, Melrose travels to 8-0 Newburyport. Maxpreps.com ranks the Clippers number one in Division 3. 

The Kid

All opinions expressed in the blog are my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization. 

 

The Kid was always around. She brought coffee. Ran errands. Worked. Didn't say much. Encouraged people. If she weren't around, they asked, "Where's The Kid?"

Once in a while, The Kid had a suggestion, "Have you thought about...?"  Later people started asking her for opinions. 

On every good team, the stars get most of the ink and the love. The Kid keeps showing up. 

In 2022, Gia Vlajkovic was the alpha, with 338 kills. Ruth Breen had 639 assists. Anna Shoemaker had 115 kills. She was The Kid.

It takes awhile for the The Kid to emerge from the shadows. On exceptional teams, she always does. 

Lagniappe. Polls and rankings serve entertainment purposes, except for the MIAA power rankings, determining seedings and playoff sites. The latest Maxpreps.com rankings are out. 

A Lesson from Maya Angelou - "Be a Rainbow"

"Be a rainbow in somebody else's cloud." - Maya Angelou

Prepare to make a difference. The best time to start was yesterday. The next best time is today. 

Game Day

 

This is your team! 

Building Your Blocking Skills

Think about sets in terms of individual points. Defense coordinates the front and back row with getting "hands on" essential.

Multiple subskills determine blocking:

• Anticipating the attack (reading)
• Footwork (get there) 
• Block tough with height, vertical jump, timing 
• Hand position (press the block) and block 'stiffness" 

The blocker with good anticipation, timing, and vertical jump who presses the block can be more effective than a tall blocker who is late with poorer technique. MVB is improving their blocking. Excellent blockers radiate a desire to excel. 

Sabrina is on a solo block in the middle and uses vertical and strength to earn a block-kill. 

This drill emphasizes multiple points: 

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Lagniappe. Coach Jiri discusses general blocking principles.

 

Books That Help Explain Sports

You're a fan and maybe a parent and want to know more about sports. What literary avenue should you pursue?

"The Politics of Coaching" by Carl Pierson

The late Dr. Pierson wrote a magnificent book for coaches and sports parents. He explains how politics is inevitable and often damaging for high school sports programs.

I've seen it remotely as a local (not Melrose) politician tried to take down a coach who cut his son. And I've seen upperclass parents (not volleyball) try to undermine underclassmen who threatened their children's status and playing time. Pierson's book should be mandatory reading.  

"Game Changer" by Dr. Fergus Connolly

Connolly, a Human Performance specialist, discusses his experiences with great coaches around the world and lays out the tetrad of skill, strategy, physicality, and psychology in fashioning elite athletes. 

"Legacy" by James Kerr

Kerr profiles the world's most dominant sports team - the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby program. Their culture focuses not only on sport, but individual growth, and incorporates elements from the Maori. 

"Good for a Girl, A Woman Running in a Man's World" by Lauren Fleshman

Sports and athletes do not arrive in a "one size fits all" mold. Some coaches and other adults remain trapped in Neanderthal perspective. 

"Search Inside Yourself" by Chade-Meng Tan

SIY is a book about the science and practical applications of mindfulness in promoting high performance. I read it three times. Mindfulness improves attention, grades, behavior, sleep, blood pressure and mental health. And it's free, apolitical, and non-religious. So you're not stepping on anyone's toes. 

The saying goes, "The journey is better than the inn." Neither children nor sports programs come with instruction manuals. Melrose parents tend to be sophisticated about the processes, yet all of us can benefit from understanding more about the pathways and pitfalls ahead.  

Lagniappe. AI input re: "Good for a Girl" 

Here are twelve key points from Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World (2023) that would resonate well with a coaching-and-leadership-focused sports blog audience — especially one covering a girls' program like the Lady Raiders:

1. Sports were built around male bodies and male development timelines. Fleshman argues that athletic training norms and practices were shaped by male physiology, and that this systemic bias creates unsafe and unsustainable conditions for female athletes — a core thesis coaches of girls' teams should sit with. 
2. Puberty is treated as a threat instead of a normal part of development. Fleshman recalls that as puberty hit, boys pulled ahead in speed while girls, including herself, began feeling self-conscious about their changing bodies — a formative moment she returns to throughout the book. 
3. Early success can set girls up for a painful reckoning. As a kid, Fleshman easily outran her peers in gym-class mile runs and found running freeing and empowering, with her father telling her she could do anything — but that confidence collided with the realities of adolescence. booksthatslay
4. Chasing an "ideal" competition weight can lead to disordered patterns. In pursuit of a perceived ideal racing weight, Fleshman engaged in harmful dieting practices — a cautionary thread for any coach managing body-image pressure on a team. 
5. Speaking up carries real career risk for female athletes. Fleshman describes how female athletes who speak out against unfair treatment often face professional consequences, which discourages others from advocating for change. 
6. Sponsors' marketing doesn't match how they treat athletes. She points out the contradiction between Nike's marketing of motherhood as a picture of strength and how the company actually treated athlete-mothers — a case study in the gap between brand image and institutional support. 
7. Menstrual health belongs in athletic development, not on the sidelines. The book calls for establishing real menstrual health protocols within sports programs, treating the topic as a performance and safety issue rather than something to avoid discussing. 
8. Representation in coaching and leadership matters. Fleshman advocates for increasing female representation in coaching and leadership roles as a structural fix, not just a symbolic one. 
9. It's part memoir, part manifesto. The book blends Fleshman's personal story of falling in love with running, being pushed to her physical limits, and enduring serious injuries with a broader argument for reforming how sports treat female athletes.
10. Her advocacy extends beyond the page. Fleshman co-founded Oiselle, a feminist running apparel brand, and Picky Bars, a sports nutrition company — showing her push for change has been entrepreneurial as well as literary.
11. It's resonating widely, not just with elite athletes. The book has become required reading for coaches in multiple programs and helped spark concrete reform conversations in women's sports, earning the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.
12. The audience is broader than runners. Fleshman intends the book for female athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone invested in gender equity in sports or body-image issues — with coaches in particular gaining insight into adapting training for female physiology, and athletes finding validation in shared experiences of burnout and injury.

 

Practice

Kobe Bryant shares why most teams get practice wrong and what Phil Jackson taught him about preparation.

"Practices are meant to be competitive. If your practices aren't more competitive than the games themselves, you're doing the wrong thing."

That's the standard. How you… pic.twitter.com/hz6N8znpZQ

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) September 26, 2026

I love practice. Without a window on practice, commentary on coaching plummets. 

A few thoughts:

"Make practice hard so that games are easier." 

"Communication in games starts from communication in practice." 

"Separation begins by learning to play harder for longer." 

"Compete for your teammates not with your teammates." 

"Practice crafts the excellence appearing on game day."  

Lagniappe. Former Alabama Coach Nick Saban, a polarizing figure, asks "are you investing your time or spending it?" 

Bonus Recipe - Chocolate Trifle

Had I an imaginary restaurant, chocolate trifle would be a dessert option. 

It's a multilayer dessert with chocolate cake (or brownies), chocolate pudding, and whipped cream. I alternated two layers of each. 

Chocolate cake - Cake mix is fine. Note that when "complete" cake mixes were produced, households rebelled because they wanted more involvement. Ergo, the modern versions with mix, water, oil, and eggs. 

Chocolate pudding - I chose two boxes of an "instant" chocolate pudding and substituted oat milk (1 1/2 cups per box instead of 2 cups of milk)

Whipped cream - use "heavy whipping cream" (high fat content), with 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon (a little extra!) of vanilla. Chill the mixing bowl (I used a household power blender) and whip until stiff peaks (but not butter). 

Assemble the mix and allow to stand in the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours and preferably overnight.