Only one regular season poll counts, the MIAA/Maxpreps poll. The updated rankings place Melrose in the second spot behind Westborough with a comfortable edge.
Why does it matter? The poll determines playoff seedings (top 32) and the first three rounds are played at the higher seed. Better seeding, more home games...
Melrose (12-1) stayed unbeaten in Middlesex League Freedom Division play, pitching a shutout at Stoneham.
The win sets up a showdown tomorrow in Melrose with 10-3 Peabody, which comes in on a roll with a nine match winning streak.
Melrose travels to neighboring Stoneham (530) in a valuable tuneup before Friday's big match with Peabody (9-3) on an eight game winning streak.
Sharing credit shows empathy.
Sharing credit raises the self-esteem of those credited.
And sharing credit earns more respect for you.
Congratulations to freshman outside hitter Leah Fowke for midseason promotion to the Melrose volleyball varsity roster.
Many of the biggest names you know in Melrose volleyball history were first year contributors including Hannah Brickley and Victoria "V-Rex" Crovo.
Melrose (11-1) continued its winning ways with a home, straight set win over Lexington 25-13, 25-8, 25-23.
Lexington had no answers for Melrose's potent offense with flurries of kills from Elena Soukos and Gia Vlajkovic and steady middle play from Chloe Gentile and Sadie Jaggers.
Melrose scuffled early in set one, tied at nine before finishing with a 16-4 run.
The second set was less competitive as Melrose dominated in all facets.
Set three showed more fire from the Minutewomen as they hung in there with the score at 12-11 midway. A costly service error shifted momentum followed up by a defensive miscue. But they fought off Melrose attacks to knot the score at 14.
Melrose won a net battle at 14 and Chloe forced a Lexington error to lead 16-14. At 16-all a Soukos tip put Melrose up one before a Lexington winner leveled the score and Melrose took a timeout.
A monster kill by Soukos at 17 put Melrose up...a favor returned with a Melrose error.
Lexington then obliged with a service error but followed up with a strong side kill.
Melrose couldn't finish a quick set to trail 19-20...and Lexington forced a defensive error on a cut shot to go up two.
Yet another service error gave Melrose opportunity where Gia wiped a block to tie. Melrose then led as Lexington set a campfire off the serve receive. Emma Desmond made a great dig on the next play but Lexington took the point.
But at 22 on a "get me over" free ball, Lexington didn't...only to storm back and tie at 23. Then Gia slammed home an exclamation point at 23 and Elena finished the match with a tip after a great defensive play from Autumn Whalen.
The clip shows the final two points won.
Here's a cross-post from my basketball blog focusing on defeating doubt and developing confidence.
It includes specific recommendations and helpful books.
Melrose hosts Liberty Division opponent Lexington at the MVMMS tomorrow.
Lexington looks to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
Melrose comes off a lengthy four-day layoff after last week's exciting win at Winchester. They'll need the rest with three games in the next four days.
Volleyball crosses the halfway point of the regular season. Here are updated Middlesex League standings and selected Massachusetts statistical leaders.
Springsteen revisited.
Melrose historically carried the label of a "simple" offense. Simple enough to earn eight sectional championships, four finals berths, and a state title.
The MIAA Power Rankings are updated. This does not reflect yesterday's win over Winchester which should add some points. The rankings will be in flux so the chief consideration is always playing well.
Middlesex League (ML) volleyball has emerged from the shadows to become more respected by playing quality non-league competition and succeeding. Growth requires quality (signature) wins against highly competitive teams. Success also helps earn players individual recognition, too.
Melrose achieved success beating out-of-area teams like Andover, Barnstable, Westborough, Central Catholic, and Canton.
A pair of ML teams have a chance to plant their respective flags today. Somebody's winning streak ends at North Andover and Reading has a chance to get escape velocity against the Lynnfield Pioneers.
Melrose (10-1) traveled to Winchester (8-3) in the Middlesex League match of the day. Melrose earned its signature win of the 2021 season with a 25-15, 25-19, 31-29 victory.
Winchester had owned the recent series, coming in with victories in the last five matches between the Freedom Division and Liberty Division powers.
It wasn't easy.
After controlling the first two sets, Melrose dug deep in the third set. Winchester held the lead 15-10 midway through the third, before Melrose went on a 12-3 to earn a solid 22-18 advantage late. But Winchester was far from done. They rallied from 24-20 to lead 25-24 leading to Melrose fighting off a series of set points with heroics coming from a number of players, notably Elena Soukos, Gia Vlajkovic, and an epic rescue of a point by Autumn Whelan.
Melrose Notes: Melrose's next match comes Tuesday evening at home.
The saying in baseball goes something like, "momentum lasts as long as today's starting pitcher."
UCONN women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma says that wins last season or yesterday entitle you to nothing today.
Maxpreps.com tracks relatively recent program results. Not sure where the 'ties' come from.
Images courtesy of Jen Gentile. Click pictures to enlarge.
Melrose (9-1) reached the halfway mark of the regular season with a straight set victory over visiting Reading (5-5). The sets went to Melrose 25-15, 25-16, and 25-19.
Reading came in ranked 13th in the Division 2 MIAA power rankings (as of 29 September). Melrose sits atop the rankings.
Elena Soukos and Chloe Gentile had key kills in the first set. In the second with Melrose up 19-16, they went "Air Gia" with a pair of skyward kills Gia Vlajkovic from the outside amidst a 9-0 run.
The entire rotation had both hands in the victory, with Ava Burns stepping in for injured Abby Hudson, out with a lower body injury.
Reading has size and excellent coaching but Melrose had too many horses with a diversified offense led by Senior Elena Soukos and an excellent all-around game from setter Emma Desmond.
Reading hung around in most of the sets but Melrose's strong serves and blocking game from Chloe Gentile, Sadie Jaggers, and Gia Vlajkovic proved insurmountable for the Rockets. Soukos and Burns in particular scorched hard-to-hand serves at the Reading back row.
Libero Autumn Whelan anchored the back row but I thought Gia had an outstanding defensive game as well and Ava McSorley also had another strong back row game.
Melrose notes: Melrose heads to Winchester Thursday for their annual tilt with the always tough Sachems.
MasterClass is a tremendous learning resource. Here are brief notes from Coach Geno Auriemma (11 time National Champion, 21 time Final Four coach) about Leadership inGender, Social, & Cultural Issues.
Jodie Foster - "Have a friend whom you respect read your script." (review your process)
In medicine, surgeon and author Atul Gawande hired a senior surgeon to review his process (come into the operating room) and suggest improvements. This was a humbling experienced for a surgeon, as the profession is filled with outsized egos. Bill Belichick and Nick Saban get together each offseason to swap notes.
Many of us have watched live or filmed practices of great coaches. Watching the UCONN women practice in Storrs was eye opening regarding the tempo, skill, and competitiveness.
Peter Gammons began a recent The Athletic column, "The great Roger Angell once wrote of the nature of New Englanders, and of Red Sox fans in particular, that amidst the brightest of summer days, there still exists a Calvinist cloud of self-doubt."
Seeds of doubt grow into mighty oaks in fertile soil.
You don't need a crash course in "how to win" because exceptional teams and players from the past hand that down like family heirlooms. Few great Melrose players have gone through four years without tasting the sectional championship match apple.
Nobody likes losing but adversity is the winner's companion. Losing helps us appreciate winning and drives us to unrequired work. Nobody sees star players running stadium steps or benching 125 pounds as senior girls.
"The magic is in the work."
Winning is hard. That's why we value it. Winning consistently over two decades is that much harder. It requires a plan, organization, and long-term player development. It also requires a culture of positive energy and willing sacrifice for the team. That's harder than it sounds because we live in a culture of individual achievement.
TEAM is especially true during the COVID-19 era where developing reserves is critical when illness is likely to remove key players for part of the season.
Melrose's last "mediocre" season was probably 2002 (my daughters were freshmen). The record was 13-7 and the playoffs went two matches, a nail-biting extended match win against Dracut and a wipeout by Arlington Catholic. But that season set the stage for a D2 North "threepeat" from 2003 to 2005 as young players added quality contributions to experienced senior leadership.
Fast forward nineteen years and Melrose blends veteran leadership with quality underclassmen trained on the club circuit. Expected growth of young players into high impact players refreshes the cycle. Players and families make a commitment to offseason development to be competitive. And solid players who would start for other communities compete to keep top players sharp.
Melrose is fortunate that Coach Celli has fought "the long war."
Stories change lives. Here are two.
The first comes from Charles Ngo, "A Lesson in Patience." The magic is in the work.
The second is the story of Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay. When he was a young boy in Louisville, he saved money to buy a blue bicycle. In his poor neighborhood, someone stole his bicycle within a week.
As a boxer, when Ali stepped into the ring, he looked at his opponent, telling himself, "you stole my bicycle."
The rest is history.
Nobody takes your metaphorical bicycle and gets away with it.
Note: I am solely responsible for the content presented and the blog is not the official opinion of Melrose High School, the Athletic Department, or the Melrose School Department.
Melrose (8-1) went into Newton and lost to Newton North 22-25, 25-22, 33-31, and 25-22.
North always has a talented team, yet the contest was highly contested over controversial officiating with questionable referee assignment and the use of teen line judges.
It was a great game with great atmosphere and Melrose will benefit from the experience.
Melrose faces a formidable foe tonight traveling to the Tiger's Lair at Newton North.
North has a loosely affiliated training program in SMASH which is one of the premier developmental programs in Massachusetts.
They've won the State Championship in the past, no minor accomplishment in the division historically dominated by Barnstable. They are always tall, talented and are taught "intent", to hit hard and worry about finesse later.
Melrose has a history with the Tigers.
Melrose Notes:
