Melrose - Reading Photoessay

Don Norris provides his usual outstanding photos. Click to see the entire photo.

Volleyball puts a lot of stress on ankles. You can see how many players now use ankle supports.
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Jen Cain (10), Athena, and Alyssa defend against Reading's Morgan O'Brien.
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Olivia Healey was a thorn in Melrose's side for Reading.
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It's not always all fun and games. Here, Jill Slabacheski shows the intensity of the moment.
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Melrose was often a little to late in defending the Reading attackers. At times Reading used the quick set to disrupt the Melrose defense.
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Athena Ziavras was back in the lineup against Reading.
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Melrose continues to develop players with a lot of potential at the JV level. Jill MacInnes authored several outstanding plays yesterday for the JV.

Second Thoughts: Just Older

"Just Older"

Hey, man, it's been a while

Do you remember me?

When I hit the streets I was 17

A little wild, a little green

I've been up and down and in between

After all these years and miles of memories

I'm still chasing dreams

But I ain't looking over my shoulder

I like the bed I'm sleeping in

It's just like me, it's broken in

It's not old - just older

Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans

This skin I'm in it's alright with me

It's not old - just older

It's good to see your face

You ain't no worse for wear

Breathing that California air

When we took on the world

When we were young and brave

We got secrets that we'll take to the grave

And we're standing here shoulder to shoulder

I like the bed I'm sleeping in

It's just like me, it's broken in

It's not old - just older

Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans

This skin I'm in it's alright with me

It's not old - just older

I'm not old enough to sing the blues

But I wore the holes in the soles of these shoes

You can roll the dice 'til they call your bluff

But you can't win until you're not afraid to lose

Well, I look in the mirror

I don't hate what I see

There's a few more lines staring back at me

Now the nights has grown a little colder

Hey man, I gotta run

Now you take care

If you see coach T. Tell him I've cut my hair

I've kept my faith

I still belive I'm just...

I like the bed I'm sleeping in

It's just like me, it's broken in

It's not old - just older

Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans

This skin I'm in it's alright with me

It's not old - just older

"No progress occurs without change, but not all change is progress." - John Wooden

"If you listen to the fans in the stands, pretty soon you'll be sitting up there next to them." - Bobby Knight

There's an old saying about coaches being the most selfish people in the world, because they put the players on the field who are going to make THEM look good. Indeed, coaches have to evaluate constantly the physical, emotional, and collective progress of their team. And we're not talking about professional athletes, but high school student-athletes.

Coach Celli reminded me that the last time Melrose took a beating like yesterday was in 2003, at the hands of the Haverhill Hillies, who were a top-flight Division I team at the time. After that game, he moved a sophomore, Karen Sen to the outside hitter position full-time to try to generate more offense. That produced some pretty good results, contributing to three consecutive D2 North titles, and it worked out well for Karen as well, as she had 18 kills in the state semifinal loss to Marlborough, and she was recognized as an All-Scholastic twice and all-state player as a senior.

The point isn't to relive the past, but to identify areas for growth in the present. Life is probably 25 percent what happens to you and 75 percent how you deal with it. Melrose has a chance to regroup and come away stronger from defeat, just as the basketball team did last winter after tough losses to Reading and Winchester. The players came together to play more determined ball and more team ball and earned the reward of a trip to the Garden.

For Melrose to have the success they want, I see three necessary components:

• "Play volleyball." You don't work sports, you play sports. Reading played with more joy yesterday than Melrose. Play hard, play smart, play together, have fun.
• Be aggressive. Play to win, not to avoid losing.
• Bring more energy. Savor the moment. How many athletes get to play in great games and the post-season EVERY year? Not so many.

Rockets Sink Melrose, Tie for ML Lead

Melrose looked to lock up undisputed possession of the Middlesex League on Championship Friday at the Middle School. But it was Reading that dominated, superior in every way, offensively, defensively, serving, and receiving en route to a three set 25-21, 25-23, 25-21 victory. The score was not as close as the numbers indicated.

Melrose and Reading have had many memorable games, including three in 2004, sharing the ML title, and the Reading clinching victory in 2006. Few have been as one-sided as this afternoon's contest, with Reading attacking from every angle, particularly with Kasey Cameron, Olivia Healey, and Melissa Dal Pozzo.

The Rockets blasted off to a 6-2 lead, with Cameron dominating. They extended the lead to 9-3 before Melrose rallied back to tie the game at 10. But even with the tie, Melrose hadn't generated many attacks, as the serve-receive game struggled. From there, Reading ran off a 9-2 advantage to break the game open. From 24-17, Melrose narrowed the game to 24-21 before an attack went into the net. Jill Slabacheski had three kills, and Athena Ziavras and Rachel Johnson each a pair.

Game two saw Reading continue their aggressive play, and with the score 15-10 Reading, Melrose had only three kills. Melrose narrowed the margin to 19-17, and then something strange happened in the neighborhood, as a question of a scoring error occurred and the Reading lead was reset to 20-16. We had the correct score at 19-17, as did others, but the only score that mattered gave Reading a four point lead. Melrose nonetheless fought back to 21 all and 23 all, but an overpass got converted into a Melrose attack error, and Reading closed out the game 25-23. Jill had another three kills unofficially for Melrose.

Melrose came out with more consistent play, and a pair of Rachel Johnson kills with three monster blocks early. But Melrose couldn't convert the play into generalized momentum, and Reading gradually crept back after trailing 6-3. Reading tied the set at 7, and went ahead 10-9 as Melrose struggled with serve-receive. Melrose opened a lead at 13-10, but again Reading came back to tie at 15, 15, and 18, before leading 20-18. Olivia Healey had a pair of crisp attacks and a block amidst the Reading rally. Melrose narrowed the contest to 22-21 with a Johnson block and a Jen Cain ace. But Reading stabilized and ran off the final points to win 25-21.

Game analysis: The game starts with the service, and the importance of the initial pass (serve-receive). Melrose failed to execute the first pass with regularity, setting up Reading's hitters with free balls and overpasses. And for the most part, Reading converted. Melrose couldn't generate meaningful offense and lacking confidence, often elected to play 'small ball' when the score narrowed. Coaches Scott Celli and Steve Wall need to find a way to generate more energy and confidence, to build momentum going into the playoffs.

Championship Friday

Melrose hosts Reading Friday at the Middle School Gymnasium on "Championship Friday". Both teams enter the contest with winning streaks, and both have plenty on the line. A victory by Reading would likely give them a share of the Middlesex League title. A Melrose victory would likely give the Lady Raiders the undisputed title.

Melrose defeated Reading in their earlier match in a tightly contested game.

Melrose dropped four places in the most recent Maxpreps.com standings.

Reading always brings a tall, talented, well-coached team and either Melrose or Reading has won or shared the ML title since 2003. Reading comes in on a roll after beating Watertown earlier this week.

Melrose has relied on a diversified offense led by Senior tri-captain Athena Ziavras and tri-captains Jill Slabacheski and Alyssa DiRaffaele, the blocking of sophomore Rachel Johnson, and the all-around excellence of sophomore setter Brooke Bell.

Wednesday, fans got a preview of what next year's team might look like as with Athena out with a minor injury, Coach Scott Celli started four sophomores and two juniors.

Senior Athena Ziavras leads Melrose in kills.

Jill Slabacheski had a monster game against Reading earlier this season.

Alyssa has provided steady serving and solid work in the back row all season in addition to her work at the net.

This is a huge game for the Lady Raiders; come out and roar for your team. The JV game usually tips off about four o'clock with the varsity to follow.

Tippi Hedren Would Be Proud, Melrose 3-1

Melrose hosted the Falcons, from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, and 'The Birds' made it a difficult afternoon en route to a 3-1 victory. Cambridge came in 6-3

Melrose had a major adjustment to make with their biggest gun, Athena Ziavras, on the shelf with an injury. Sarah McGowan started in her place outside, and defensive specialist Maggie Moriarty rotated in as server and defensive specialist for Rachel Johnson.

Cambridge scored the first pair of points for the match as a harbinger of things to come. The Falcons showed both defensive intensity and competence, frustrating Melrose's short game, while Melrose struggled with attack errors.

Melrose managed to tie the score at 3, but Cambridge opened up a 10-5 lead and then had a seven point run to bring it to 17-5. Melrose righted the ship with a 15-7 rally, but the final point of the set went into the net, and "The Birds" had left a mark. Melrose unofficially had only four kills in the set. The crowd at the Middle School was stunned but not disheartened and showed enthusiastic support from then out.

Game two showed Melrose come out with a purpose, and the purpose was to separate Cambridge from any idea of victory. The team played with high skill and energy early and Melrose went out 10-0 and 17-1, and wrapped a 25-2 rout. Sarah McGowan got it in gear with four kills and Brooke Bell was immense with deception and a trio of kills.

The third stanza saw some erratic play and a deficiency of 'crispness'. Rachel Johnson dominated the set for Melrose with five kills and several blocks. Maggie Moriarty had a lengthy service run and solid back-row defense. The game was even at 5, before Melrose opened it up to 17-7 with a 12-2 run. Melrose closed out the set 25-12, marred by three service errors.

So, you might think that Melrose had it figured out, running out to a 7-3 and 11-6 lead. Later Melrose would open the advantage to a doubled 14-7. But the Falcons kept pecking away, finally evening the score at 20. Just as it seemed that shades of the first game returned, Melrose reasserted itself with some strong serves from tri-captain Alyssa DiRaffaele and some terrific hitting from tri-captain Jill Slabacheski to close out the game 25-20. Alyssa had three kills, Rachel three, and Jill had a pair.

Game analysis: The simplest answer comes from the intersection of the disruptive loss of senior Athena Ziavras and the very solid play of several of the Falcons, Brigitte Boursiquot (5), Kayla Adams-Sena (11), and setter Lydia Vital (3). Absent Athena, Melrose was totally out of sync in the first game, and just as almost everything went wrong for the Lady Raiders, the visitors made some terrific plays. Dick Collis and I recollected the Senior Night match in 2005 versus North Andover as a most worthy comparison.

Melrose roared back in the second game, played consistent volleyball in game three, and muddled through game four before putting on a strong finishing kick. The contest showed the consequences of lineup changes and the importance of maintaining flexibility and discipline. The positives that emerged were both victory and willingness to keep hitting, even when the wheels came off the rails in the Hitchcock-like drama.

Back Stretch

*A blog for Melrose Lady Raider players, families, and fans. Information contained within with no pretense of objectivity.

With eight games to go this season, the Lady Raiders head into the home stretch of the regular season. With a couple of off days before the next game, let's see where Melrose sits.

The most recent iteration of the Massachusetts power rankings from Maxpreps.com. The quality loss to Central Catholic resulted in Melrose moving up in the standards via strength of schedule. Barnstable makes the familiar leap into the top spot...and has some great games on the schedule, hosting Frontier and traveling to Westborough and Medfield.

Brooke Bell must have one of the highest service percentages around, getting nearly 99 percent into play.
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"If you don't set me more, I will take you out." Setters have to set, bob, and weave. Is Brooke a student of the "sweet science"?

Dance Fever

Although Central Catholic broke Melrose's 51 game home winning streak this week, Melrose qualified for the post-season 'dance' with their victory Wednesday.

The playoffs promise some tough action, with plenty of D2 teams with outstanding records. Hopkinton, for example, has lost its two games against last year's state champion Medfield. Marlborough has a long history of volleyball excellence including state championships. North Reading has a pair of games remaining with Lynnfield and finishes the season with Reading in their bid to remain undefeated.

Sophomore Rachel Johnson tips around a double block.
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Alyssa DiRaffaele prepares a middle attack.
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Sophomore Jen Cain has contributed solid defense this season from the opposite position.
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What do they say in those huddles?

Week in Review

Melrose had the week's action compressed with a late game on Monday and a pair of league games on Wednesday and Friday.

Central Catholic handed Melrose their lone defeat of the season in a very tough, five set match at the Middle School. Central had a little too much offense down the stretch and kept their winning streak alive against Melrose. Still, the protracted effort against Melrose may have taken something out of Central, which lost later in the week to strong clubs in Bishop Fenwick and Andover.

Kayla Wyland earned a promotion to the varsity based on her strong front row play for the JV. She's the tallest Lady Raider and adds some valuable length up front.  Melrose came back to win the latter pair of contests to stay atop the Middlesex League.

Don Norris shares some of his great candids.

However good Kayla is on the court, she's equally pleasant off of it. One of the joys of following the youngsters' careers is to meet some wonderful families and local sports enthusiasts.
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Two of Melrose's three captains, Jill Slabacheski in the foreground and Alyssa DiRaffaele are ready on defense.
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Sophomore Rachel Johnson gets good extension at the net. She has developed at an early age into a strong defensive front-row player.
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Optical illusion? Having three legs helps you cover more territory? Not so much. Another promising sophomore, Sarah McGowan bumps while the third Melrose Captain, Senior Athena Ziavras looks on.
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Sophomore setter Brooke Bell looks relieved to escape the "choke hold" of older sister Teagan...a former Lady Raider herself on the basketball and lacrosse teams.

Here are the latest Middlesex League standings according to Maxpreps.com.  Since 2003, Melrose and Reading have either won or shared the ML volleyball crown. That streak appears probable to continue through 2010.

Moving Day?

Statistics courtesy of Dick Collis.

Melrose traveled to Burlington to complete a long week, coming away with a three set victory. I'm told that Burlington was much improved, with rumors of a transfer student.

Certainly the first set saw a different Burlington, as the hosts led 2-0, 4-3, and 8-7. Melrose took the lead back for good at 10-9, and from a 12-11 lead, finished 13-6 to win 25-17. Athena Ziavras led the way with five, while Jill Slabacheski added a pair. Melrose's two service errors didn't prove costly.

Game two saw a quicker start, with a 9-3 Lady Raider lead. Burlington never got closer than 3 in a 25-11 victory. Unofficially, Athena added another six kills to her tally, and Melrose went service error-free.

The third game saw some back-and-forth action with the Red Devils trailing 6-1, only to go up 9-7 with a couple of runs of their own. But Melrose restored order with a 14-4 run and late substitutions closed out a 25-14 win. Jill had another three kills and the under-rated setter Brooke Bell added three kills of her own.

Brooke Bell is on pace to have the highest single season service percentage in Melrose history.

Finding Solutions: By the Numbers

Middlesex League standings from Maxpreps.com as of this morning.

Like Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, Coaches Scott Celli and Steve Wall consider what's best for the program. Coaching decisions aren't always popular, especially when they involve players, not just strategy. 

Melrose passed the halfway mark of the regular season, traveling to Belmont to take home a 3-0 victory.  But for Coach Scott Celli, a mathematics teacher, each passing game become a challenging problem - to identify the solutions needed for ultimate victory 1) to neutralize elite hitters and 2) to increase Melrose's offensive potential.  If there's anything that has characterized the Celli coaching tenure, it has been flexibility, the willingness to tinker with success in order to pursue greater success.

Volleyball terminology brings a certain arrogance, attacks and kills, but they emphasize the aggressive obligation for offensive players. 

Melrose's youth movement continued with the 'field promotion' today of sophomore Kayla Wyland.

Game one saw Melrose accumulate twelve kills en route to a 25-8 win. Senior Athena Ziavras led with seven, followed by a trio from Jill Slabacheski. Melrose led 5-1 and13-3, and finished with a six point flourish including a five point service run from sophomore setter Brooke Bell. Melrose was free of service errors in the set.

Jill goes up for a block against Central.

Games two and three saw liberal substitution with the attendant result a 25-20 win. Athena added another three kills and Jill four. Melrose had nine kills and a pair of service errors.

Game three saw Melrose off to a 10-nil run to start and the debut of Kayla Wyland. As expected, the efficiency of play varied, along with four Melrose service errors. Unofficially, Melrose had only six kills in the game, including the game winner by Sydney Doherty.

Aces! Don Norris captures a celebratory moment.

In any highly competitive endeavor, participants need regular self-analysis to improve. This week (bye week) for the Patriots, they have already effected a major personnel move (trading future Hall of Famer Randy Moss) and traditionally "self-scout" to assess weaknesses and tendencies. Coaches Celli and Wall lack the luxury of a week off, but continue their effective process to make adjustments to maximize outcome.

Melrose-Central Catholic Photoessay

Melrose's Don Norris keeps the snaps coming. Enjoy and remember to click the shots where parts of the picture appear cut off.

The floor captains meet with an official.
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Central Catholic is one of the top teams in the Commonwealth, year in and year out.
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Melrose's reserves were fully in the game.
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Sophomore Rachel Johnson brought her blocking strength to the middle as usual.
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Jill smashes into the teeth of a Central double block.
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Referee Doug Beech explains why a point had to be replayed.
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The Melrose coaches, Scott Celli and Steve Wall are always exhorting the team to attack, offensively and defensively. Even brief lapses of concentration or intensity can lead to critical momentum swings. Never underestimate the mental part of the game.
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Alyssa swings away over the Central blockers.
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Athena goes up for the block.
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In the shadow of the 2005 state finals banner, Jen Cain hits past the block.
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The Lady Raiders are on the distributing end of congratulations.  Central goes home for the chicken dinner.

Net Cam

From Jeff Mate'

Central Stops Melrose Streak in 5

Melrose came in with a 51 game home winning streak, and Central Catholic came in determined to remain unbeaten, coming away with a 25-23, 18-25, 16-25, 25-16, 15-12 victory.

This morning's keys to victories included great defense, unrelenting offense, and preparation for an extended contest. In large part, Melrose held up its end of the bargain, but fell just short because of the excellence of Central, and a few costly breakdowns. Central was led by its big middle hitter, senior co-captain Corrine Gosselin and sidekick junior Hunter Tuck.

Central got out fast to a 5-0 lead, with Melrose gradually chipping away, until they finally tied the game at 22-22. There were a couple of inexplicable plays, which remain unexplained. Gosselin and Tuck dominated early, and Melrose trailed 9-5, 12-8, 15-12, 19-16, and 22-19. Four costly service errors made the difference, and Melrose also played more defense than offense in the first game. Unofficially Jen Cain and Rachel Johnson both led with a pair of kills.

Game 2 saw the Athena Ziavras show with a variety of smashes, tips, dinks, and dunks. Athena's seven kills went a long way to even the match. Melrose led 5-0, and after 11-8, never allowed the visitors to come within four points.

Melrose carried the momentum into Game 3, going up 6-2, and 10-3, before Central struck back, But Melrose extended the lead to 15-7 and 21-12 before coasting to victory. Unofficially, Melrose added another 10 kills, including another six from Athena and three from Alyssa DiRaffaele.

Melrose hoped to achieve a signature win against a top-ranked Division I opponent, but Central came out on a mission in Game 4. Again the Raiders went up 5-0, and 8-3, with Melrose struggling to get into a rhythm because of Central's overall excellence. Brooke Bell was superb in game four with four kills and Athena added another three kills, but Central dominated.

With the crowd anxious for a comeback, Melrose opened up 5-0 and 7-2 but Central never quit. Rachel Johnson was outstanding at the net, and Athena had another couple of kills early. But the Merrimack Valley co-leaders ran off ten points in a row, largely secondary to Tuck and Gosselin, although setter Bouchard and the rest of her mates deserved plenty of credit. Melrose closed to 12-9, and 13-12, but Central was able to maintain their aggressiveness to the close and seal the victory after taking a late timeout.

Game analysis: Early on, both teams appeared to show some effects of the big game, but as the game proceeded both teams exchanged figurative blows and showed the ability to take a punch. Melrose showed the ability to stay with the Division I power, but couldn't finish them off. Several players came of age during the game, with Athena playing at a high level throughout, and Rachel Johnson went head to head against the taller Gosselin, and frequently battled her to a draw. But Brooke Bell showed terrific skills, including consistent setting, several blocks out of nowhere, and a phenomenal backset kill to a deep corner, a play I have never seen Melrose execute. She and Athena were almost the kryptonite needed to put Central down.

Coach Celli said that he learned a lot about his team tonight, that "they are fighters"...

Great credit goes to Central for their steely determination in game four and a stirring comeback in game five. They played without their other senior co-captain, Kendall Desrosiers, a terrific player in her own right.

Herald Rankings

D1:
New Bedford
Barnstable
Andover
Central Catholic

D2:
Medfield
Marlborough
Melrose
Longmeadow
North Reading

Coaches poll...

Big Test at the Middle School

The Chinese character for "crisis" represents the blend of two, "danger" and "opportunity." Tonight at the Middle School gymnasium, the Lady Raiders (9-0) host unbeaten Central Catholic, a perennially strong, very tall, and talented team that comes in as the favorite.

Melrose has had some great battles with Central through the years, with Central winning the past three seasons (including two in the Division 2 North final), and Melrose winning the epic quarterfinal five set playoff in 2005 on the way to the state finals. Despite losing uber-setter Carolyn Eddy (now at UMASS-Lowell) and Katie Zenevich (a BC hoopster), Central returns even taller and just as talented.

Here are the keys to the game for Melrose:

• Defense...the intersection of 1) communication and 2) execution
• Bombs away. Hit through the ball. The good teams don't beat themselves; you need to beat them with relentless offense.
• Stay the course. Most of the games this season have been three set affairs for both teams. If it goes how I expect, the intensity and effort will be exhausting for both teams.

6 P.M. The Middle School. Two programs come in undefeated; only one will leave the same way. 

Challenges

Melrose continued its home winning streak yesterday, extending it to 51 games against a talented Arlington Catholic team led by outside hitter Jenny Warren and setter David Amicangioli. Don Norris sends over some fresh shots for players, families, and Melrose fans.  I think that you'll agree that these are among some of Don's best shots. Always click the photos to get the full picture. 

Sophomore Jen Cain has been able at opposite all season.
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Tri-Captain Jill Slabacheski has had plenty to smile about this season.
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Sophomore setter Brooke Bell was third in Massachusetts in total assists at the last check of Maxpreps.com.
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 Jill and the rest of the defense worked overtime to dig out some hard AC kills yesterday.
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Sarah McGowan had a breakout game defensively in the back row yesterday, and packs a punch as a hitter as well. Rumor has it that Brooke and Sarah have additional offensive weapons in the bag.
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Here Sarah has just gone flat out with a 'beach dig' to keep a ball in play. Brooke (11) and Athena watch intently.
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Jill had a three ace service run yesterday.
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Part of the Melrose student section
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Maybe volleyball is a 'niche sport', but in Melrose, more fans are coming out regularly, and a Saturday afternoon contest allows them to see their team compete.
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Tricaptain Alyssa Diraffaele gets a piece of an Allison Whitney smash, while setter Amicangioli and Jen Cain (10) look on.
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Tricaptain Athena Ziavras is Melrose's leading hitter, here with an outside attack.
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Coach Scott Celli has to be pleased with the effort, process, and results from his young team, with seven of the thirteen players sophomores and freshmen, and only one senior. The defense has come on lately, and will need to play great against undefeated Central Catholic tomorrow.  Both teams enjoy the friendly rivalry, and only one will leave the building with a winning streak intact.

Come support your team tomorrow. The game is listed to start at 6 P.M. Here's the Maxpreps.com preview.