Go to the link; next to Newburyport is WATCH REPLAY
At 1:50:15, Newburyport serves into the "pass, set, hit."
1. Anna Burns delivers the serve receive pass
2. Sadie Smith sets the "quick set" or "short set"
3. Sabrina McArt hammers a perfectly timed winner
Kills
Elise (17), Adriana (9), Sabrina (6), Lorena (5)
Assists
Sadie (32)
Service points
Dani (23)
Digs:
Anna (11)
Receptions:
Anna (23), Dani (12), Adriana (10)
Kudos to Ella Friedlaender assisting the coaching staff with statistics
*Some AI assist
After a pleasing win, the best advice stays unchanged - "Chop wood; carry water." Remain grounded to the process.
Three-minute highlight reel from NFHS Network
Link to full replay (no scoreboard) on this page
Unofficially (pending published stats), Elise Marchais had a career-best seventeen kills.
HOW TO BE MENTALLY STRONG: pic.twitter.com/LMIEhw9U7w
— Book Therapy (@Book_therapy223) September 26, 2026
Imagine that you were the coaching staff. What "absolutes" would you instill in your players? How. The shorter the list, the better.
1. Be a great teammate. "The strength of the wolf is the pack."
2. "Always do your best."
3. "Play harder for longer." Be relentless.
Fill our toolboxes...and fill them some more. If needed, get a bigger toolbox or discard some that you find unhelpful or dated.
CLAIM: Don Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements never goes out of style. Ruiz shares 'timeless wisdom' that improves our lives. We don't have to read the whole book. Understand and embrace the concepts.
The Four Agreements
A trip to Newburyport called for intestinal fortitude. Melrose knocked the Clippers from the unbeaten (9-0) ranks with a come-from-behind 23-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-22 victory.
The win upped Melrose to 7-2 on the season.
This represented a signature win against the top-ranked team in Division 3 (10th overall) in the initial MIAA rankings. Area fans and coaches also got to watch on the NFHS Network.
A raucous home crowd supported the Clippers and built a second or third-round playoff atmosphere.
Melrose got off to a slow start in the first and was playing uphill most of the set. Nine service errors proved a hurdle too great to climb. Melrose showed promise with a lineup designed to get more blocking force with Sabrina McArt and Lorena Contin in the middle, and Elise Marchais pushed outside to compensate for injuries.
The second set didn't go as planned either as Melrose struggled against the 'Port block and trailed 15-21. Melrose injected a big dose of mental toughness as Sabrina got on a service run and evened the score. Down the stretch Melrose lost a set point at 24-23, but scored twice to even the match. Sophomore Lorena came through with a couple of key kills late.
Elise Marchais owned the third set with a mixture of smashes, line hits, tools, and tips. Only guessing that she had about nine kills and finished the set with an ace. She may need Daniel Webster in a legal battle to reclaim her soul after that performance. Melrose dominated the set with wins across the board and great work in the back from Anna Burns, Gen Overlan, Dani DiGiorgio, and Adriana Santoriello.
Melrose started slowly in the final frame, before rallying. It was a total team effort without weaknesses. Melrose led 23-20 when a Clipper serve slammed into the net. A final point secured the victory.
Melrose Notes:
A strong contingent of Melrose fans made the trek to Newburyport.
With a "total team win," everyone shares credit. MVB 25 tended to be predictable with future D1 commit Sabine Wenzel. This year, the offense attacks from all three front slots. I'd guess that Elise, Adriana, Lorena, Sabrina, and Amelie Johnson all had at least five kills.
Alisa Dautovic continues to see limited action with injury. Shout out to Ella Friedlaender, fully invested while awaiting surgery.
Melrose's six sophomores are young but experienced, five having played varsity last season and all six played in the Nationals this spring.
In other Middlesex League action:
Powerhouse Franklin upset Winchester, 3-0.
Reading topped Lexington 3-1.
Wakefield beat North Reading 3-2.
Maxpreps.com publishes updated state leaders.
Kills:
Elise Marchais ranks #48 with 67.
Assists:
Sadie Smith checks in at #6 with 211
Digs:
Anna Burns en fuego at #24 with 102
Bring your writing to life.
Writing serves many masters. Empower your storytelling. You must earn skill; nobody awards it.
Hemingway said, "Writing is easy. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."
Neal Allen and Anne Lamott share "Good Writing," awarded New York Times Bestseller honors. The book amplifies Mr. Allen's "36 Rules."
A partial table of contents:
Strong sentences shoulder the load, as powerful verbs chop adverbs and adjectives. "See Spot run" works for Dick and Jane. "Spot raced around the course, prepping for the days when helicopter assaults exhausted everyone except him."
Write so well that everyone believes that AI wrote your story. Bring readers tears of agony or ecstasy. Craft stories that keep readers engaged and turning the page.
Overcome the 'tyranny of the blank page'. Then let it sit. Some authors like Joyce Carol Oates allow a piece to marinate for months. She revises the draft into finished craft.
Sometimes, you will struggle to finish a piece. Just as in volleyball, keep going. Finish the job.
Remember, "the strength of the wolf is in the pack."
Lagniappe. Protect your standards. "Leave the jersey in a better place."
View on Threads
Today's action is why you play. Melrose (6-2, #3 in D2 MIAA rankings) travels to Newburyport (9-0, #1 in D3 MIAA rankings).
Big opportunity for both clubs to battle quality opposition.
The Clippers notched meaningful wins against potent Lynnfield and Marblehead.
Melrose wants to build on recent wins as it returns players from injury.
The game is broadcast on the NFHS Network (subscription).
"There is no shortage of good days. It is good lives that are hard to come by." - Annie Dillard in The Writing Life
The principal advantage of youth is the expectation of having a long life to accumulate experiences and wisdom. Having a philosophy to guide you along that path helps create those good days and good lives.
An ICU physician's assistant asked those he met for an idea. He didn't specify from what domain. Perhaps he got recipes for Brussel sprouts, movie or book recommendations, or famous quotes. I told him, "share something great."
Your Volleyball Life
Drink deeply from the wellspring of coaching around you. You never know when a nugget of wisdom will change everything. It might be, "Speak up. Don't be a church mouse." The best ideas, unseen and unheard, are invisible and wasted. Or as Gia told Sadie Jaggers, "Make a good pass, not a great one." Good passes won't become overpasses or trap the setter at the net. Or "press the block."
Your Home Life
My father described some children as "street angels, house devils." Make your first priority being a good person everywhere - home, school, sports. "How can I help?" crafts a lot of good will. Thank your family for the opportunities that allow you to become the person you are today.
Your Academic Career
A patient came in with a complex problem and a difficult personality. The two best answers are often "I don't know, but I'll find out" or "That's a good idea, we should do that." Mine was, "I'm just a simple suburban doctor; you need to go to Boston." She said, "We both know that's not true, I do my research."
Your "burden of proof" is your track record. You cannot plead ignorance. The seniors left early last year for National Honor Society induction. Many of you 'frequent' the "Excellence" list or Honor Roll at MHS. "I do my research."
The Mr. Robinson Standard
You are not an island, a recluse, or a "lone wolf." What you do impacts those around you - what you think, what you say, and what you do. As the poet Maya Angelou said, "People will never forget how you made them feel." None of us can choose to be perfect; all of us can choose to be better.
Lagniappe. Shoulders are vulnerable to the forces applied to them. Warm up well.
There's a saying, "Nobody is coming to rescue you." On point 27 of the third set, Adriana and Alisa save the point.
Attack:
Alisa (8), Adriana (8), Elise (7), Amelie (6)
Assists:
Sadie (24)
Serving: (Points)
Anna (14), Elise (14), Dani (10)
Team Serve Percent 85
Digs:
Anna (13), Dani (9)
Receives:
Adriana (12), Anna (11)
Legendary basketball coach Pete Newell said that the coach's greatest responsibility is to help players "see the game."
In practice, "pass, set, hit" follows "vision, decision, execution." UNC soccer coach Anson Dorrance (22 NCAA titles) preached showing positive highlights.
Using the 'original' Pixellot footage, you have the option to slow the replay to study technique.
"Sundance" gets on top of a smash.
Elise understands the S's - short, sidelines, seams, or soft defender
Dani speaks softly and gets the job done.
"Gotta have it point." Alisa finishes.
Playing with force, Adriana scores.
Elise shows positional versatility and power.
Student-athletes are role models. What you think, do, and say matter.
The 'win-loss' record matters, but it's not the whole picture. Advocating for women's empowerment comes with the territory.
Always Do Your Best (the Fourth Agreement)
Every serve, attack, or dig won't be perfect in practice or in competition, whether it's high school or the Olympics.
On day one, Coach Ellis Lane laid out the priorities:
As seniors, Karen and Paula (a.k.a. KP) had some sports success. And all six seniors on the basketball team made the Honor Roll. "How you do anything is how you do everything."
Take Care of Your Body
Lauren Fleshman, former NCAA and Nike runner, wrote "Good for a Girl," an important book for athletes and coaches. Girls are not boys with a different chromosome. She pushes for self-care for women athletes and truth-telling.
Prioritize enough sleep. Student-athletes should get a minimum of eight hours of sleep.
Eat right. Teens don't control everything in their diet. Adequate protein intake (1 - 1.5 grams/kilogram) is a target. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Hydration. "Dehydration" (volume depletion) shows up first as fatigue before thirst. Make the water bottle your companion and use it.
Recovery. After practice or competition, develop a recovery routine. That could include a thermal contrast shower, foam rolling, as well as hydration and diet.
Lead
Upperclassmen set the tone. Find opportunities to lead and track them. In your journal, express your private thoughts and how you responded to leadership opportunities.
Leaders control what they can control. There's an old saying that "you can't fool dogs, kids, and volleyball players." Everyone can lead though focus, hard work, and never being a distraction.
Be seen and heard.
Lagniappe. High contact point and trunk rotation both are important attack elements. When competition starts, focus on the game, not technical aspects. The great golfer or hitter can't think about their swing "in the box."
Exceptional teams connect with their fans. They deliver emotion and premium performance.
In 2003 nobody expected Melrose to sweep 22-0 Arlington Catholic, which had not lost a set all season. A topspin smash by Denise Applegate finished the Cougars. Melrose entered the sectional title business.
In 2009, Melrose upset Barnstable, the "brand name" in Massachusetts volleyball. A signature win catalyzed the start of a four-peat of sectional titles, ending with a State Championship.
Fans connect when they feel they become part of the story. "They" become "we." Teams earn energy from the fans and return it. The experience became infectious.
Great stories often capture unexpected success. Being 'too small', 'too young', or unknown sometimes helps.
Build a brand connection one fan at a time.
