A quarter of the season is past and Melrose carries a 4-1 record in the Middlesex League amidst young players developing and injuries to key players a factor.
Steve Karampalas shares some shots. Click frame to enlarge.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Quarter Pole: 4-1
A quarter of the season is past and Melrose carries a 4-1 record in the Middlesex League amidst young players developing and injuries to key players a factor.
Steve Karampalas shares some shots. Click frame to enlarge.
4-1. Burlington Bedevils Melrose 3-1
Burlington has worked to develop their program and came away with a 3-1 victory at the Veterans Memorial Middle School Gymnasium. Melrose played hard but couldn't overcome the absence of senior attackers Victoria Crovo and Cat Torpey.
Injuries and illness will give less experienced players valuable development in the trenches. "Experience is the best teacher, but sometimes the tuition is high."
It's not getting easier with three road games and two matches against the iron, perennial powers Frontier and NDA.
Steve Karampalas shares some snaps. Click to see the full frame.
Injuries and illness will give less experienced players valuable development in the trenches. "Experience is the best teacher, but sometimes the tuition is high."
Steve Karampalas shares some snaps. Click to see the full frame.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Pyramid Power
I had a conversation with someone today with two major points:
1) It is easier to achieve a measure of contentment not by comparing yourself to someone else but by working to be a little better than you were yesterday (daily improvement).
2) We will never be perfect but can therefore become a "better version."
Coach John Wooden suggested the means to competitive greatness in his "Pyramid of Success". At the cornerstones are two 'attitude' blocks - industriousness and enthusiasm. At the core are three 'stature' blocks - conditioning, skill, and team spirit. Near the top are two messages of support - faith and patience.
Find your power.
Review Coach Wooden's twelve lessons, especially "adversity is your asset." Improvise, adapt, and overcome.
1) It is easier to achieve a measure of contentment not by comparing yourself to someone else but by working to be a little better than you were yesterday (daily improvement).
2) We will never be perfect but can therefore become a "better version."
Coach John Wooden suggested the means to competitive greatness in his "Pyramid of Success". At the cornerstones are two 'attitude' blocks - industriousness and enthusiasm. At the core are three 'stature' blocks - conditioning, skill, and team spirit. Near the top are two messages of support - faith and patience.
Find your power.
4-0 Melrose Tames Cats, 3-0
Melrose advanced its record to 4-0 with a 25-11, 25-20, 25-12 sweep of the Wilmington Wildcats.
With Victoria Crovo injured, the team has the opportunity to develop other offensive threats. And competitive volleyball against top area teams demands a varied attack. That can come from a host of sources - service, setter scoring, conventional strong side attacks, middle attacks and tips, back row attack, and the occasional back set to the opposite or slide attack. Today, Melrose used a number of these to their advantage.
But the strength of the team for now is in the back, with libero Kaitlyn MacInnes and friends providing ample assistance. Melrose got strong defense from Katie Donovan, Julia Symonds, Emily DiPietro, Jill Mercer, and freshman Mary Kate Mahoney.
The back row got the front going, allowing Cat Torpey, Saoirse Connolly, Lydia Lombardo, and Erin Torpey to author kills.
Melrose led early 8-3 and after a pair of Wilmington kills, setter Lily Fitzgerald had a service run to jump the lead to 15-5 with a solid set one win.
Wilmington played a much better second set, buoyed by better defense. The visitors opened a 4-1 edge before five consecutive points gave the Lady Raiders the lead. Melrose opened an 18-10 lead before Wilmington got to within a pair at 19-17. But Melrose restored order with a strong finish sparked by Cat at the net to win 25-20.
In the final frame, Wilmington was as close as 10-7 before they just ran out of gas as Melrose closed with a 15-4 run.
Coach Scott Celli and his staff are assembling the pieces searching for the best combinations that can find solutions against the challenges ahead.
Next week Melrose faces some tough customers, starting with a legitimate contender in Burlington.
With Victoria Crovo injured, the team has the opportunity to develop other offensive threats. And competitive volleyball against top area teams demands a varied attack. That can come from a host of sources - service, setter scoring, conventional strong side attacks, middle attacks and tips, back row attack, and the occasional back set to the opposite or slide attack. Today, Melrose used a number of these to their advantage.
But the strength of the team for now is in the back, with libero Kaitlyn MacInnes and friends providing ample assistance. Melrose got strong defense from Katie Donovan, Julia Symonds, Emily DiPietro, Jill Mercer, and freshman Mary Kate Mahoney.
The back row got the front going, allowing Cat Torpey, Saoirse Connolly, Lydia Lombardo, and Erin Torpey to author kills.
Melrose led early 8-3 and after a pair of Wilmington kills, setter Lily Fitzgerald had a service run to jump the lead to 15-5 with a solid set one win.
Wilmington played a much better second set, buoyed by better defense. The visitors opened a 4-1 edge before five consecutive points gave the Lady Raiders the lead. Melrose opened an 18-10 lead before Wilmington got to within a pair at 19-17. But Melrose restored order with a strong finish sparked by Cat at the net to win 25-20.
In the final frame, Wilmington was as close as 10-7 before they just ran out of gas as Melrose closed with a 15-4 run.
Coach Scott Celli and his staff are assembling the pieces searching for the best combinations that can find solutions against the challenges ahead.
Next week Melrose faces some tough customers, starting with a legitimate contender in Burlington.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Snaps
Quick look at a sample of what Steve Karampalas sent over just now...
click frames to enlarge...
click frames to enlarge...
3-0 Melrose Overcomes Injury to Defeat Lexington 3-0
Melrose remains undefeated (3-0, 3-0 Middlesex League) winning the home opener in straight sets against Lexington (1-2).
Melrose had to overcome losing its signature offensive threat, Victoria Crovo who is out with a lower extremity injury.
Melrose got off to a slow start, trailing Lexington, which has a lot of height, 4-1, before Melrose's defense took control. Coach Scott Celli got a lot of players into the action, with especially high performances from Libero Kaitlyn MacInnes and attacker Saoirse Connolly, who were both outstanding. MacInnes' skills rival those of her sister, Jill, who was a Division 2 All-State selection in 2013. Connolly is a jack-of-all trades type player who scored repeated attacks wiping Lexington blocks.
A lot of players impressed with general improvement.
Full game statistics will be posted when available.
Around the league, Winchester remained unbeaten with a 3-2 win over Burlington, and Reading stayed undefeated in the Middlesex League in what is shaping up as a three-team race.
Melrose had to overcome losing its signature offensive threat, Victoria Crovo who is out with a lower extremity injury.
Melrose got off to a slow start, trailing Lexington, which has a lot of height, 4-1, before Melrose's defense took control. Coach Scott Celli got a lot of players into the action, with especially high performances from Libero Kaitlyn MacInnes and attacker Saoirse Connolly, who were both outstanding. MacInnes' skills rival those of her sister, Jill, who was a Division 2 All-State selection in 2013. Connolly is a jack-of-all trades type player who scored repeated attacks wiping Lexington blocks.
A lot of players impressed with general improvement.
Full game statistics will be posted when available.
Around the league, Winchester remained unbeaten with a 3-2 win over Burlington, and Reading stayed undefeated in the Middlesex League in what is shaping up as a three-team race.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Home Opener Today
Melrose (2-0) hosts Lexington in the 2016 home opener today at the MVMMS Gymnasium at 5:00 P.M.
Melrose is off to a fast start, averaging 11 kills/set and sporting a 96.5% serving percentage.
Lexington is usually a first division club, but had a disappointing 2015 campaign. The Minutemen (Lady Minutemen, Minutewomen?) split their first two contests, losing at Wakefield but rebounding to shut out Wilmington.
The usual suspects are at the top of the standings (may require registration), with Melrose, Winchester, and Reading all winning their first pair of matches. Reading is 2-1 having lost to a Western Mass contender, Longmeadow. Winchester is 4-0, including an impressive shutout win against Arlington Catholic, a perennial power in the North.
Melrose is off to a fast start, averaging 11 kills/set and sporting a 96.5% serving percentage.
Lexington is usually a first division club, but had a disappointing 2015 campaign. The Minutemen (Lady Minutemen, Minutewomen?) split their first two contests, losing at Wakefield but rebounding to shut out Wilmington.
The usual suspects are at the top of the standings (may require registration), with Melrose, Winchester, and Reading all winning their first pair of matches. Reading is 2-1 having lost to a Western Mass contender, Longmeadow. Winchester is 4-0, including an impressive shutout win against Arlington Catholic, a perennial power in the North.
Friday, September 09, 2016
2-0 Initial Road Trip Success
Melrose defeated Arlington 3-0. The box score is here. You may need to sign up to access.
Surveying the early season outcomes, the only upset I've seen was Dennis-Yarmouth beating Bourne.
Victoria Crovo, a.k.a. the V-Rex added another 10 kills while Cat Torpey added 9, and Saoirse Connolly had 7.
Lily Fitzgerald had twenty-five assists.
Certain themes emerge over time...
1) Consistency
2) A blend of youth and experience
3) Developing a front row presence (blocking)...
4) Minimizing errors
At its best the team succeeds with defensive coordination between the front and back row (blocking and passing) and development of three dominant hitters. Competing against the best programs demands winning points (attacking) and the teams that have gone to the championship game have created those offensive and defensive synergies.
Quiz: Saoirse Connolly has the most vowels in her first name of any Melrose player in memory. What major league baseball player had all five vowels in his first name?
Surveying the early season outcomes, the only upset I've seen was Dennis-Yarmouth beating Bourne.
Victoria Crovo, a.k.a. the V-Rex added another 10 kills while Cat Torpey added 9, and Saoirse Connolly had 7.
Lily Fitzgerald had twenty-five assists.
Certain themes emerge over time...
1) Consistency
2) A blend of youth and experience
3) Developing a front row presence (blocking)...
4) Minimizing errors
At its best the team succeeds with defensive coordination between the front and back row (blocking and passing) and development of three dominant hitters. Competing against the best programs demands winning points (attacking) and the teams that have gone to the championship game have created those offensive and defensive synergies.
Quiz: Saoirse Connolly has the most vowels in her first name of any Melrose player in memory. What major league baseball player had all five vowels in his first name?
Thursday, September 08, 2016
Melrose Launches 2016 Campaign with 3-0 Win at Belmont
Photos courtesy of Steve Karampalas. Click image for full frame.
Volleyball combines athleticism, power, and grace...and an occasional caption.
The V-Rex in action.
Girls can jump! Saoirse's got ups.
Another sister act on the court with Kat and Erin Torpey...
MacInnes or Ledecky?
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