More Shots from Don Norris

The volleyball team is hard at work in Medway today, but Don Norris sends us some shots. Always click on the photos to enlarge them, as they often contain more than in the screen shot.

"The joust"
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Amanda back at full strength
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Big sister Maggie in action
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Unsung contributor Jen Cain
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Brooke says "missed it by that much".

Pop Goes the Volleyball Season

Although I'm something of the Melrose volleyball historian going back to 2002, I don't know where the Tootsie Pop tradition began.

Suffice it to say, dentists everywhere smile broadly at tradition.

Speaking of tradition, the first full week of practice fills up with scrimmages, today's against solid Chelmsford and Lynnfield squads at the Middle School gymnasium.

Scrimmages help bring players up to competitive game speed, allow coaches to assess players and combinations under pressure, and consolidate strengths and discover weaknesses to be improved.

My initial observations follow, tempered by recognizing that the team still has had relatively little practice:

• Personnel. Of the ten Melrose teams I have seen, this has the highest OVERALL level of volleyball talent, through the fifteenth player on the roster. It would be very premature to say that the top six or eight players were the best, but reasonable to say that the overall quality of whichever players are reserves has never been higher. The coaches have plenty of talent to choose from. To quote the great John Wooden, "it's not who starts that counts, it's who finishes."
• One area that I felt needed to improve was service. The players definitely served with greater overall proficiency. 
• Serve-receive is always an important part of defensive development. Lynnfield gave Melrose a good test, and the players performed at a very consistent level early in the preseason. 
• The level of communication between the bench and the defense impressed. The defense read deep balls better with good help from the sideline. 
• There will be a spirited competition at many positions. Many players have a chance to separate themselves from the pack at a variety of positions. Players who can develop as secondary and tertiary attack options will be critical to the overall offense. 

Tomorrow the team travels to Medway for the Medway Play Date. Generally, some top teams like Lincoln-Sudbury, Fairhaven, Chelmsford, Medway, and others compete.

First Steps

Melrose traveled to Newton North to scrimmage the Tigers today. One should not expect mid-season form after less than a week of practice together after tryouts.

Sarah McGowan goes up for a kill.
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Melrose puts some new kids on the double block.

Tomorrow Melrose has scrimmages with Chelmsford and Lexington at the Middle School gym.

Face Time in Boston Globe North

The Boston Globe North section features the Lady Raiders volleyball team in this week's issue. Currently, there is no online link, but you can check it out at your news stand.

Link now up here.

The team travels to Newton for a scrimmage against perennial D1 North power Newton North today.

Photo from Don Norris

I post photographs (and contributions) as I receive them. I screen them to avoid what might be controversial pictures (unless they're really funny!).

Junior Kayla Wyland earned a "field promotion" as a soph last season and contributed to the team's post-season success with a big game against North Reading.

First Look

Don Norris sends over your first look at the 2011 edition of Melrose volleyball. Always click the pics to enlarge them, especially today because the photos are oversized.

Teammates Matter

Usually, I republish an article about a great volleyball teammate of the past. This year, I'll look at a different angle. 

In medicine, we have a saying that “the enemy of good is better.” What that means is that if a person is doing well with a certain program, tweaking it may actually make them worse.  Life may replicate that in many situations.

One area where players and teams can improve is the concept of “the best”.  You see destructive situations where ego prevents players and teams from maximizing their ability.  Some coaches, like Dick Bennett, actively work to teach their players values along with sport. Bennett talks about humility, passion, servanthood, unity, and thankfulness.

•  “It’s hard to be humble when you’re great.” If you are the best at something, the world and your peers will recognize it.
• “E pluribus unum.” One from many, a motto of the United States. A team can be greater than the sum of its component parts. Or one player can destroy it.
• Great students have a passion for learning. Great players have a passion for sport, for improving their weakness and maintaining their strengths. “Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm.”
• As a player or a coach, you SERVE the well-being of the team and your teammates. Teammates matter. No great player can be a bad teammate, as they are mutually  exclusive. The great player makes those around her better. In Charles Barkley’s book, “I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It”, he writes of encountering a homeless man in Houston. He recognized him as a former NBA All-Star who had struggled with the scourge of drugs.  The player’s self-indulgent and wasteful lifestyle had brought him to ruin.
• Thankfulness.  We appreciate our opportunity, and when we grow that into success, be thankful for those who helped us along the way.

Becoming a successful volleyball player and team presents a formidable challenge. But to get there, you have to have a set of core values and philosophies, the foundation upon which you will build your ‘house’. Working hard to be great teammates, whatever your role, can strengthen the team and help you build lifelong friendships. 

Coaching: Cross-Post

The coaching profession has great responsibilities and rewards. Here's a cross-post from the Melrosegirlsbasketball.com blog concerning coaching.

The volleyball team has enjoyed tremendous success with good measure because of outstanding coaching. Enjoy the ride.

Roster Announced Via Maxpreps

Coach Scott Celli has posted the 2011 Girls' Volleyball roster on Maxpreps.com.

Looking at the list, we see it comprised of five seniors, seven juniors, and three sophomores.

New to the varsity roster are Jill MacInnes and Maeve Moriarty. Maeve joins her sister Maggie, a senior on the team.

The team continues its preparation for scrimmages Thursday (@ Newton North), Friday (home versus Chelmsford and Lynnfield), and Saturday (Medway play date), before opening on the road at Bedford on September 7th.

Day 2: Tryout Camp

Sixty-two enthusiastic candidates continued tryouts today for the Melrose volleyball team. Thirty-six upperclassmen and twenty-six freshmen worked out in the sweltering heat of the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School Gymnasium.

The coaches complete Varsity team selection by close of business today and the JV and Frosh team selection by tomorrow.

After tryouts are completed, the players receive handouts with the scrimmage, regular season, and complete practice schedule, and the rules and requirements for participation. Players and families will also receive information on the annual "meet and greet" with the coaches. Coach Scott Celli and his staff have always set out a clear set of policies and expectations for the players and participation implies full compliance.

The coaches review the Melrose High School standards for "chemical health", hazing prohibition, and other important information for players. The coaches have high expectations for this year's teams, and with an experienced and deep squad those expectations set the bar high.

With the large numbers of girls trying out and the quality of the players participating, inevitably some will be disappointed. There is an old saying that applies, "never let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." Melrose High School provides a rich diversity of both athletic and other activities, and students have lots of opportunities to be involved.

The Dance of Form and Function

Melrose has had some big hitters through the years and this year shouldn't be an exception. Sometimes the only differences between excellent and good come in small doses. The ultimate success of the 2011 team will correlate best with their  attack success. Last year Athena Ziavras finished 12th in the state in kills. Melrose has hitters that can challenge that total.



In this video, the tight form promises to deliver better function. We live in a world of process and outcome linkage. If you commit to good process, then outcome takes care of itself, in the classroom, on the court, in your personal life.

Christmas Eve in August?

The Melrose volleyball 2011 version 1.0 opens up tomorrow with tryouts.  For many coaches, a new season presents the excitement and challenge of having new toys.

And for Coach Scott Celli and his staff, we're not talking about a Pet Rock, a Rubik Cube, or even an iPad. The 2011 campaign resembles a shiny new sports car more than consumer electronics or a pony.

The coaches have the enviable job of selecting a roster from among about seventy candidates looking to earn spots on the varsity, JV, and freshman squads.

I won't project a starting lineup from among Melrose's plethora of talented players, but Brooke Bell, who had the fourth highest assist total in Massachusetts as a sophomore is as close to a lock at setter as imaginable. The southpaw setter had a remarkable season serving as well, with only two service errors, and she has worked hard on improving her serve this year.

Competition abounds at every position and competition has promoted excellence in the past.

Scrimmage Update

For fans interested in attending:

Melrose has two scrimmages on Friday, Sept. 2 against very competitive teams:

vs Chelmsford @10:00

vs Lynnfield @ 3:15

Both scrimmages will be held in the Middle School Gym.

Countdown to Tryouts

Melrose volleyball has become one of the most popular sports at the high school and the most successful sport over the recent past.

The coaching staff of Scott Celli (Massachusetts Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame), Steve Wall, and Andrea Basteri have developed teams that have talented players top to bottom each season. Melrose has appeared in eight consecutive Division II North finals, winning five, and goes after its second "three-peat" with teams from 2003-2005 accomplishing the triple.

The graduation of All-State outside hitter Athena Ziavras leaves a hole in the Melrose offense, with plenty of candidates looking to fill the spot. But don't expect Middlesex League opponents to feel any sympathy for the Lady Raiders.

This season introduces the ML Large and Small divisions, and therefore Melrose faces perennial rival Reading early in the season.

Melrose returns a youthful but experienced group of players competing for both roster spots and court time.

Former Captain Athena Ziavras (left) poses with tri-captains Alyssa DiRaffaele, Brooke Bell, and Jill Slabacheski (click photo to enlarge).

Local volleyball fans look forward to another exciting season, with a group of talented, enthusiastic scholar-athletes representing Melrose. In addition to Reading, expect Stoneham to improve, and the team has an attractive nonleague schedule including AC, Central Catholic, Bishop Fenwick, Westborough, and Lincoln-Sudbury.

The Maxpreps.com rankings give us a general idea of how things stood. Obviously, strong teams like Reading and Fairhaven were underrated by their computer analysis. But you can see that Melrose will face particularly strong non-league competition this season.

Debut on LTS

Jill Slabacheski joins Let's Talk Sports as a regular contributor.

Teeing it Up

Melrose volleyball tees up tryouts at the end of the week. Here are some thoughts from a great basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski on leadership and teams.

New Face on Let's Talk Sports

Let's Talk Sports gives the local broadcast on local professional and amateur sports. Tonight MHS senior and volleyballer Jill Slabacheski joined the staff as a contributor on the high school sports side. Jill has interests in sports broadcast journalism.

Camp Tranquility: Volleyball Development

Coach Scott Celli has built a consistent winner by developing a foundation, framing the structure, and relying on player and family motivation to produce a finished product. Community support and interest, MMTV, and others have made the volleyball process into quality product.

Where do players get their introduction? Over the past few years, the summer volleyball camp has been a terrific resource. And the redoubtable Don Norris shows his photographic eye. Clicking the photos gives you the fullest view of the photos.

 Serving lessons 101.
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He ain't heavy; he's my volleyball.
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Brooke Bell shows a few little ones the ropes.
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 "So cute." Will some of these girls be on a state championship team someday?
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Girls listen intently to volleyball instruction.
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They might be young, but some will definitely be players, sooner rather than later.
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 Colorful campers soak in the experience.
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Volleyball has become one of the most popular sports at the high school.
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Maave Moriarty (right) keeps her charges in line.
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 The Middle School venue allows four volleyball setups to run simultaneously.
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Stretch 'em out.
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 Move 'em out.
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Roll 'em out.
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 Returning and prospective players keep in shape and sharpen their teaching skills.
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A large and enthusiastic crowd turns out for volleyball camp.

Need More Melrose Volleyball?

Championship point last year.

Highlights from last year's championship game.

Senior night video highlights. 2009.

Back from the dead, game 3, state finals 2005.

We know that 2011 will bring more excitement...

Volleyball Camp in Full Swing

Don Norris captures some of the magic of this week's volleyball camp at the Middle School. You can see the level of interest and fun, and some familiar and new faces. Click photographs to enlarge and get the whole picture.

Rachel Johnson and Jill MacInnes work with some younger players
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Sydney Doherty has a smile on her face.
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All-Scholastic Athena Ziavras and Assistant Coach Andrea Basteri were on hand
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Tie-dye seems to be the rage among the younger players.
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One of the secrets to the volleyball team's success has been keeping it fun.
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Assistant Coach Steve Wall is a big part of the program's success.
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The newest member of the Massachusetts Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame, Scott Celli has built a program that has earned eight consecutive appearances in the Division 2 North finals (including five wins)
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The first skills players learn is "bumping" the ball.
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Former Melrose standout Hannah Brickley, now a success at Trinity, both athletically and academically helps out.
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Some players will do anything to get the line calls right. Is this Brooke?
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The volleyball program has grown by leaps and bounds. If you want to get on board, you need to start young.

Interview with Coach Scott Celli on Let's Talk Sports

Ralph Labella, Ron Sen, and producer Jeff Mate' bring you the latest Let's Talk Sports with the cornucopia of sports in society, professional sports, and a twenty minute interview with Coach Scott Celli. "Sports Conversation" starts at about 9:53 into the show. He addresses his program origins and development.

Updated Bay State Games Information

In addition to Brooke Bell, Lady Raider v-ballers, also rising juniors Jen Cain and Sarah McGowan also earned spots on the Bay State sectional roster. This illustrates the "youthful experience" theory that will go into the upcoming season.

Additionally, Coach Scott Celli will be our guest for our "Sports Conversation" on "Let's Talk Sports" on MMTV and blip.tv.

Miles to Go

Not so much news during the off-season, but we hear that Brooke Bell has made the Bay State Games on the volleyball squad.


And if you need some inspiration for training, consider this.

Sarah McGowan on Let's Talk Sports

This week's episode.

Hall of Fame Tickets

Melrose High School Athletic Hall of Fame

Tickets for the Melrose High School Athletic Hall of Fame 2011 Induction Banquet to he held of May 14th at the Chipman VFW starting at 6 PM.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at Wilson Insurance Agency, West Foster Street (781-665-1034). Ticket price is 35 dollars each.

The photo plaque ceremonies will start at 430 PM in the Melrose High School Resource Center. This portion of the festivities is open to the public at no charge.

2011 Inductees

Paul Kelliher 1986
Andrew Lennon 1992
Caitlan O'Leary  1998
Ryan Johnson  2002
Shannon Kirwan  2003
Robert Walker Sideline Hero
Golf Team 1963
Girls Basketball Team 2000

Bits and Pieces

Many of the volleyball players have moved on to basketball season, looking to fashion new memories.

Andrea Basteri recognized freshman players.
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Jill Slabacheski comes to the dais.
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Parents are always a big part of the season, pre-season, and post-season.
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Underclassmen are always the future of Melrose volleyball.
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Take It to the Banquet

Don Norris shares his photographic expertise from the proverbial box to wire (greyhound racing term). Rather than finish the season abruptly, I'll publish some shots from time to time to try to keep the fires burning.

In Shrek, Eddie Murphy said, "everybody loves a parfait." Well, "everybody loves a victory cake."
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Anthony's always serves up a buffet-style feast.
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The young ladies always look quite different in their heels and boots.
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Parents get to enjoy a night out and celebrate their children's success.
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The Mayor came through with a matching set of Melrose Volleyball DYNASTY DRIVE signs for the gymnasium entrance.
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One of the feature events of the banquet is the naming of captains. Outgoing captain Athena Ziavras, joins this years other Captains Alyssa DiRaffaele and Jill Slabacheski, in welcoming the newest captain, Brooke Bell (she's the "economy-sized" one)...congratulations to all.

Dinner and a Movie

The Melrose volleyball program celebrated its season with a break-up dinner at Anthony's in Malden. Coach Scott Celli emceed the program, with assistance from varsity assistant Steve Wall and freshman coach Andrea
Basteri.

After a delicious buffet dinner, the coaches recognized their teams and players, and handed out some special honors. I'll review some of the highlights.

• Principal Joseph Dillon recognized the team's accomplishments. 
• Coach Celli recognized parents, players, and other contributors to the program. 
• Junior varsity player Jill MacInnes was named JV MVP on a vote of her peers.
• The JV had one of its best seasons, finishing 17-3.
• Varsity players received their letters, bars and stars (returning players/captains), MIAA Sectional championship certificates, and some season mementos.
• Coach Scott Celli thanked all of the players, recognizing their roles and accomplishments and noted that this was one of his favorite teams. 
• The coach displayed the newest 'banner', presented by the Mayor, the Melrose Volleyball "Dynasty Drive" sign to be placed at the gymnasium entrance. 
• The coaches handed out some special awards.
• Serving percentage (330/332), Brooke Bell
• Top defensive player , Rachel Johnson
• Unsung hero, Jen Cain
• Most improved, Kayla Wyland
• MVP, Athena Ziavras
• Coach's award, Athena Ziavras
• Presentation of MGVCA All-State plaque to Athena Ziavras
• Captains thank you to Athena 
• Athena's 'hail and farewell' address
• Highlight video by uber-media specialist Jeff Mate' 
• Explanation of the captaincy process, including application completion, secret ballot, and review of suitability with administration and teacher
• Naming of third captain (in addition to returning captains Jill Slabacheski, Alyssa DiRaffaele)...Brooke Bell (congratulations to Brooke)