Regular Season Winding Up?

We might say that the schedule is winding down, but really it is winding up, as Melrose prepares to face the iron of its schedule, with two games against top four-rated teams in Massachusetts in the next ten days. Melrose travels to Hyannis to face Barnstable Thursday. Barnstable lost 3-1 last week to Medfield, its second loss in the past seven years and split with Medfield this year. They will likely not be in a particular good mood following the Medfield victory.

Melrose fans know the Medfield program, as Medfield defeated Melrose 3-2 in the State Championship game in 2005.

Friday, Melrose easily topped Belmont 25-10, 25-10, 25-14. Melrose played well, amassing fifteen kills in set one, including five for Hannah Brickley and four apiece for Laura Irwin and Athena Ziavras.

Set two saw another strong effort, with leads of 9-1, 13-2, and 21-4. Hannah had another five kills, Laura four, and a pair for freshman Jill Slabacheski.

Set three was the closest, as Belmont closed to 19-14 before Annemarie Weisen's service helped sink the Marauders. Siena Mamayek had three kills, and Athena and Annemarie each had a pair.

For the match, Melrose had only two service errors, and setter Colleen Hanscom continued her assault on the career assist mark, adding another thirty-two.

Melrose Volleyball Action

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Laura Irwin (17) has the view to a kill.
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A big part of athletics involves developing team chemistry, friendships, and making memories that will last a lifetime.
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Kelly O'Neill (center) and her teammates focus on Coach Scott Celli.
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Hannah Brickley with the tip.

Latest MaxPreps Ratings

The Lady Raiders move back into the MaxPreps top 10.

For comparison, Barnstable has a rating of 85. The top teams in the US have ratings over 100.

2008 Lady Raiders Volleyball

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2008 Melrose Lady Raiders Volleyball. Back row, left to right...Coach Scott Celli, Athena Ziavras (SO), Siena Mamayek (JR), Laura Irwin (JR), Hannah Brickley (JR), Annemarie Wiesen (JR), Jill Slabacheski (FR).

Front row: Alyssa DiRaffaele (FR), Kelly O'Neill (SR), Alex Harlow (JR), Jess Farr (JR), Colleen Hanscom (JR). (Not shown: Allie Walsh(JR)).

Fan-tastic. Lady Raider fans come in all ages, from siblings, to parents, grandparents, and interested members of the community.

Melrose Beats Watertown 3-0

Click photos to ENLARGE. Photos courtesy of Don Norris.

Melrose hosted Watertown and defeated them 25-6, 25-2, and 25-13. The second year team coached by former Lady Raider Andrea Basteri is gaining valuable experience but struggles against better competition, particularly on the road.Junior Annemarie Wiesen hits over the block against Hamilton-Wenham.

Watertown scored the first point of the match and Melrose responded by running off twelve points with Siena Mamayek serving. Melrose had only four kills in the set because Watertown's difficulty with serve-receive. Melrose had three kills from Hannah Brickley to lead the way.
She's got ups. Hannah Brickley soars high against the Generals.

Set two was more of the same, with Melrose leading 13-0 and 22-1 before closing out the set. Freshman Jill Slabacheski had three of Melrose's four kills.

Set three saw heavy action from reserves, but still only six kills. Jill had a pair of kills as did sophomore Athena Ziavras.The Junior Varsity is working hard to support the Varsity and gain skills. Here Bridget Corso digs out a slam.

Melrose Relieves Generals for Cause, 3-0

The Lady Raiders extended their regular season winning streak to 37 defeating the visiting Hamilton-Wenham Generals in straight sets 25-10, 25-11, and 25-17. Stat guru Dick Collis passes along the trivia that the Generals were so named after General George Patton who had a home in Hamilton.

The Lady Raiders prepare for next week's mega-challenge as they travel to Barnstable. Hamilton-Wenham is well-coached but appeared to have a very young although tall club.

Melrose went out quickly to a 6-0 lead in game one and never was challenged. Melrose had only seven kills in set one, three from Hannah Brickley and a pair from Athena Ziavras as the Generals struggled in serve-receive. Siena Mamayek added a pair of blocks.

Set two again saw an early Melrose lead (9-2) with five more Brickley kills and another pair of Siena blocks. Colleen Hanscom set effectively and had eight service points in the frame.

Melrose reserves saw a lot of action in set three, with nine more kills from Hannah and four from outside hitter Laura Irwin.

Here's a sample of Barnstable volleyball action, which Melrose fans will see next week if they make the trip.

The Best of the Best

High school sports help bring the community together. And the Back Row Boys have achieved iconic stature on the local sports scene.

Today, we mourn the passing of Bob Kershaw, a charter member of the original gang.

Bob had a gentle nature, a charitable spirit, and a sharp wit. He had a special connection to volleyball through his grand-daughter Allie Walsh. We will miss him greatly. Our sympathies go out to his wonderful and caring family.

Sports and Community.

What's the difference between high school sports and professional sports? It certainly isn't lipstick. Combining sports and community produces some remarkable results. We've discussed great teammates, the role of coaching, and celebrate the achievements of both teams and individuals.

We should also celebrate effort, enthusiasm, and improvement. Coach Celli considers this year's team one of his best in spirit and in quality of the character and intelligence of the young ladies, reasons we all can take pride in Lady Raider volleyball. The players are the principal and winning an added dividend.Two players who have made both great contributions and improvement are Siena Mamayek (24) and tri-captain Kelly O'Neill. 'Sie' has made great strides around the net, and Kelly helps anchor the defense, which will be tested down the stretch.

Melrose Bedevils Red Devils 3-0

Melrose continued their undefeated regular season with a three set victory at Burlington, 25-5. 25-7, and 25-22.

The lopsided win afforded Coach Scott Celli the chance to give extra time to his reserves, who responded in kind.

Set one saw Burlington with a short-lived 4-3 lead, before Melrose ran off a twelve point run to put the game away with libero Jess Farr serving. At 16-5, Hannah Brickley finished with a nine point run. Melrose had a single errant serve in game one. Hannah led with five kills and Laura Irwin added three.

Set two saw more of the same, but fewer kills and a run of service aces by Laura and Jess. Hannah added four more notches to her belt and Laura had a pair of kills. Freshmen Jill Slabachesky and Alyssa DiRaffaele had a kill apiece. Melrose had a pair of service errors.

Coach Celli went with a young lineup in set three and still came away with a win. Hannah got a well-deserved rest for this game, with both frosh starting. Melrose led 14-6 but the Red Devils fought back to lead 18-15. The Lady Raiders fought back to tie at 18 and 19, before putting the game away behind another Farr service run. Annemarie Wiesen, Athena Ziavras, and Siena Mamayek each had a pair of kills.

Melrose returns for a homestand next week.

Melrose-Reading Volleyball Photos

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Melrose essentially clinched its 5th Middlesex League volleyball title in the last 6 years as the Lady Raiders defeated the once-beaten Reading Rockets Wednesday. Don Norris works his photographic legerdemain with another series of candids and action shots.

From left: Athena Ziavras returns from injury. Hannah Brickley warms up before her remarkable 29 kill afternoon. Coach Scott Celli has his game face on.
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Melrose prepares to hear the National Anthem.
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Athena spikes while Hannah and Siena Mamayek look on.
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Kelly O'Neill with some back row defense. The key to successful volleyball is the first pass off the return to initiate a successful play.
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Annemarie Wiesen and Siena go up for the block.
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All of Melrose's returning veterans have improved, but none more than Siena, whose net play, especially defensively has allowed Melrose to maintain its net dominance and consistency.

Melrose Douses Rockets, 3-1

Melrose journeyed to Reading with the teams having a combined one loss, Reading's early season defeat to the Lady Raiders their only blemish. Melrose left no doubt who was the league title contender, stopping Reading 25-18, 21-25, 25-14, and 25-10. The win erased any lingering memories of Reading's mildly controversial league title in 2006.

And the biggest eraser for Melrose was All-Scholastic junior Hannah Brickley, who (unofficially) knocked home 29 kills in one of the most dominating performances by a Melrose volleyballer.

Melrose scored early and often in set one, taking a 9-3 lead on four early Brickley kills. Hannah made an incredible save on the ensuing point going deep beyond the endline to track down a dig, although Reading captured the point. Reading closed to 12-10, before a Melrose run with Siena Mamayek serving brought Melrose a 17-10 lead. Melrose had 14 kills in the set including six by Hannah and four by Siena.

Reading stormed back in set two, leading 6-3 and 9-6, before Melrose seesawed its way back to a 12-11 lead. The set was tied at 18, 19, and 20 but Reading rallied for the win. Melrose managed only eight kills in this game, with three for Hannah.

Melrose picked up the pace in set three, with a 5-1 and 9-3 lead, before Reading narrowed it to 9-8. Melrose exploded for eight of the next nine points to extend the lead to 17-9 and Reading was cooked. Hannah had an incredible ten kills in the frame.

The Lady Raiders put the hammer down in set four, turning a 3-2 Reading lead into a 16-3 lead with fourteen consecutive points with Colleen Hanscom serving. Reading never came closer than 19-7 and Melrose moved to 14-0 and thirty-five consecutive regular season wins. Hannah had another ten kills abetted by a trio by Laura Irwin.

It was a terrific team victory, with strong offense from the entire frontline, the return of Athena Ziavras, and consistent defense from the back row.

Coaches Celli and Wall will be looking for continuing improvement in the overall team play, aided by some terrific competition down the stretch from the top teams in the Commonwealth. In addition to developing improved back row defenders, the team will look to maintain its service consistency and diversify its offense, while developing younger players. With only one senior, mostly juniors, one soph and two frosh, "the future's so bright we've gotta wear shades."

Latest Maxpreps Rankings

In the wake of last week's success, Melrose moves into the Maxpreps Massachusetts top ten. Melrose will face the number one and three ranked teams at the end of the season.

How good is Barnstable? Some say this is their best team ever. Barnstable beat North Quincy, also in the top ten, 25-0 in their third game. However, the experience of facing Barnstable and Bishop Feehan will be invaluable as Melrose could face Central Catholic in the D2 North finals again.

The Lady Raiders travel to Reading tomorrow in the biggest game of the season. We have no news as to whether Athena Ziavras, coming off a knee injury will be ready to play.

Melrose-Stoneham Volleyball Photos

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Melrose hosted the Stoneham Spartans at the Veterans Memorial Gym. Don Norris gets us some candids.
Freshman Alyssa DiRaffaele had seven kills in a starting role.
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Laura Irwin shows her power stroke as she towers over the Spartans.
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Hannah Brickley knows volleyball is fun.
______________________________________Jill Slabacheski had a couple of kills today, while Siena Mamayek (24) looks on.
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Lucky Thirteen for Melrose, Drop Stoneham 3-0

Melrose hosted Stoneham and extended its winning streak to 34 while tuning up for what essentially is a league title showdown Wednesday at Reading. The Lady Raiders captured the match 25-11, 25-7, and 25-12.

Melrose continues to struggle with the injury bug, but freshman Alyssa DiRaffaele returned and showed a lot of promise on the outside with seven kills.

Melrose had fourteen kills in game one, including six from Laura Irwin and four from Alyssa. For the match, Melrose had a remarkable only one service error.

Hannah Brickley sparkled in set two with six iklls, aided by three from Laura and a pair from freshman Jill Slabachesky.

Set three saw Hannah add another four kills while Siena Mamayek added two. Melrose had raced out to an early 7-1 lead and never looked back.

Coach Celli was pleased with the team's effort, especially improved defense and service. He praised the character and work ethic of the team and their desire to win.

Melrose travels to Reading Wednesday looking to secure its second consecutive league championship against the Rockets who come in with a single defeat, at the hands of Melrose.

Updated Schedule from MaxPreps

Click to ENLARGE.Melrose faces Stoneham tomorrow and has a rematch with Reading (11-1), riding a nine game win streak, on Wednesday. For practical purposes, wins over Stoneham and Reading will clinch the Middlesex League title for the second consecutive season.

Melrose Volleyball Action

Click photos to ENLARGE. Photos courtesy of Don Norris.

The Lady Raiders clinched a post-season berth for the 7th consecutive season with a three-win week. Melrose has advanced to the Division II North championship game the past five seasons and looks to reverse last season's loss to Central Catholic at Andover.

Ice is a girl's best friend, especially hard-hitting Laura Irwin who had 18 kills against North Reading last Monday.
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Coach Scott Celli has the team's full attention here.
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Laura goes up for the kill while Hannah Brickley (25) and Annemarie Wiesen (34) look on.
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Hannah had 22 kills against North Reading last week, while Colleen Hanscom (14) had 37 assists in the comeback victory. Here Colleen shows her versatility with a block. Notice the excellent hand position penetrating the net airspace and fingers wide spread.
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Left to right, Alex Harlow (15), Laura, Colleen, and Siena Mamayek (24)
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Updated State Rankings

Melrose continued their winning ways, extending their record to 12-0 this week with victories over North Reading, Winchester, and Lexington. Melrose has now won thirty-three consecutive regular season matches.

And as a result, the Lady Raiders move up two places in the Max Preps Massachusetts state volleyball rankings to twelve.

Melrose Tops Winchester 3-0

Click photos to ENLARGE. Pictures courtesy of Don Norris.

Melrose traveled to Winchester to meet the expansion Sachems. Two groups that don't fare well are dogs that chase cars and expansion volleyball teams. The match yesterday went as expected with the Lady Raiders winning 25-14, 25-3, and 25-12.

The walking wounded status? Alyssa DiRaffaele returned from her injured ankle, Kelly O'Neill saw limited time with a hand injury, and reportedly Allie Walsh goes on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Athena Ziavras has improved and no longer needs crutches.

The team expresses heartfelt thanks to the loyal fans that travel home and away to see competitive games and less so. Don Norris and his wife Lori, Don LaSaffre, and George Lovett, all of whom have no relatives on the team cheered the girls on like they were their own.

The JV game went to 3 games. Melrose won. Melrose won set 1, lost set 2 and won set 3. The games saw rallies from both teams at times to bring the score close over and over again. The JV continue to make gains. Their aggressiveness at the net has definitely improved. Their serving exceeds most any JV team they have played. Their setting up plays and not just hitting it over has really progressed.

Can we make a perfect circle this time?
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"Careful where you swing that thing, Siena", muses Laura Irwin as Alex Harlow and Jill Slabacheski look on.
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Assistant Coach Steve Wall with some helpful pointers for Alyssa.
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Melrose - North Reading Photos

Click photos to ENLARGE. Photos by Don Norris.The Lady Raiders rallied from a two-set deficit against North Reading to remain undefeated
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All-State Middle Hitter Hannah Brickley goes into Spike City.
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The joy of victory
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Melrose celebrates another victory.

State Rankings

From Maxpreps