Stats vs Methuen

Kills - Adriana 14, Elise 9, Sadie 7

Assists - Sadie 28

Digs - Anna 12

Received- Gen 14, Alisa 12

Service points - Anna 15

Pressing the Block

Blocks vary. Make them count.

Here Sabrina McArt times the block perfectly, 'gets air', and penetrates above the net into opposition airspace. This cuts off the angles and converts to set point at Methuen.

The play starts at 28:56. 

 

 

Carrying Water

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose institution. 

"Seeing is believing." Watching MVB since 2002, I've seen and sometimes broadcasted the spectrum of Melrose Volleyball. This season, for the first time, I had the privilege of watching all twenty games.

The blog seldom "carries water" for an individual player. Today it departs from that principle. Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Daly said, "Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel."

Twenty-six seasons of MVB means studying a few hundred players, none more important than the setter, quarterbacking the team - setting, passing, serving, blocking, digging, attacking, and leading. 

She keeps countless plays alive through character and competence. 

Sadie Smith, 2024, after varsity promotion

Sadie Smith had as good a season as any in MVB setting history with a breadth of skills. Among the top ten in assists in Massachusetts all year, she competes. She leads. She excels in the classroom and on the court as do many MVB 26 student-athletes. 

Watch this play, broadcast last night, starting at 13:22.

She keeps the play alive and turns it into a hittable ball. She then tracks down and sets a winner.

She makes everyone around her better, impacts the game, and impacts winning - the requisites of an exceptional player. 

As Sean Connery said in Finding Forrester, "Remarkable." 

Trick or Treat? MVB 26

 

Happy Halloween! 

To Whom Should You Listen?

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely mine. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose institution.

Part of growing up is finding resources to help with decision-making and executing plans. A hierarchy of resources exists. Mr. Rogers famously said, "Look for the helpers." 

There are "reliable" and "questionable" sources. 

Start with "famous people." Think for yourselves. 

For example, as entertaining as Mark Twain's speeches are, they don't always represent "good advice." For example: 

"First, girls, don’t smoke—that is, don’t smoke to excess. I am seventy-three and a half years old, and have been smoking seventy-three of them. But I never smoke to excess—that is, I smoke in moderation, only one cigar at a time."

Artificial intelligence 

(AI) comes above with a caveat, AI "hallucinates" in response to prompts. How far do you want to trust hallucinations? In the words of President Ronald Reagan, "Trust but verify." 

The MVB Blog 

Slightly above Twain and AI is anything read here in the blog. First, it comes with a disclaimer and second, "don't believe everything you read." 

Your Eyes

You know the saying, "Seeing is believing." With AI and 'deepfakes' practically anyone can be made to appear to be saying anything. If you need proof, voila. 

 

Goldie and Frenchie share good advice but it's entertainment. 

Teachers

Teachers teach to the curriculum. For example, history texts are designed to sell in Texas. History to Texans can vary from history in Massachusetts (really). If you need more history information consider reading: 

A People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn)

Lies My Teacher Told Me (James Loewen)

Teachers are usually excellent sources but information can go out of date. Growing up, we learned there were nine planets in the solar system. Since 2006, Pluto became a 'dwarf planet', so now it's eight. 

Coaches 

If your coach wants a skill or a coverage executed a certain way, do it that way until your next coach wants you to do it their way. This can be negotiable, depending on the expertise and maturity of your argument. If your coach tells you "don't serve down the sidelines because the risk is too high," don't. 

Family

Your parents want what's best for you and have the most direct responsibility to and for you. They want what is in your best interest. Listening to this song will help save you time. 

 

Lagniappe. It's okay to be a "T-Rex" at the beginning of your attack but NOT throughout the attack.

 

 

Game 20: Melrose 3 Methuen 0

 Melrose capped the regular season with a road win at Methuen, 25-21, 25-15, 25-22. MVB completes the regular season with a 16-4 slate, having won 14 of the last 16. 

Methuen plays out of the uber-strong Merrimack Valley Conference. They are no stranger to competition, with MIAA Division 1 top six powers including Central Catholic, Chelmsford, and Andover. 

The match offered stakes for playoff seeding. Here were the Chat GPT Plus outcome estimates on power rankings:

What tonight’s Methuen result would do

Methuen’s updated MIAA rating is 2.1852. Holding all opponent ratings fixed, the calculation is:

{Melrose finish} {19(3.5514)+2.1852 + {set differential}{20}

This produces the following scenarios. These are sensitivity estimates, not a statewide recursive rerun:

Result at Methuen	Estimated rating	Most likely seeding implication
Win 3–0	3.6331	No. 3, with useful cushion

Melrose rolled out the usual starting lineup with Anna Burns and Gen Overlan splitting libero duties and Elise Marchais/Sabrina McArt at middle, Sadie Smith at setter, Adrian Santoriello and Alisa Dautovic all-six, Dani DiGiorgio DS, and Amelie Johnson right side.

Melrose came out slowly and trailed 13-9 before an Anna Burns service run put Melrose back in charge. Melrose got contributions everywhere, although I thought Sabrina was particularly active in the middle. As customary, Sadie Smith showed her complete toolbox of setting, digging, blocking, and even hitting to lead the way. 

Melrose owned the second set with an early 10-5 lead and never looked back. Again, a large cast of characters with offense from Adriana, Alisa, Amelie, Elise, and Sabrina. 

The third set informed some early trick or treat. Lorena Contin had some run during the set. Melrose led 17-10, only to surrender eight consecutive points to trail 18-17. Again, Melrose responded to take the lead at 20-19 and finished strong with a key win at the net late by Lorena. 

Melrose Notes: 

MVB got frequent driver miles this season with trips to Lexington, Watertown, Ipswich, Newburyport, and Methuen. 

As usual, Melrose fans turned out for both the varsity and JV followup game, which the youngsters won 2-1. 

Next week's calendar should be busy. Early Monday afternoon, seedings for the tournament come out. Monday afternoon, the league meetings will award recognition for high performance. 

Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, preliminary rounds complete. Melrose is likely to play their first round matchup late next week. 

Alisa Dautovic passed the 100 kill mark, finishing the regular season with 101...giving MVB four 100 kill players - Elise, Adriana, Amelie, and Alisa. 

TIA - Here's Why

Own a coaching and life philosophy - TIA:

T - teamwork, make everyone around you better

I - improvement, impact the game as a standard

A - accountability to process = impacting winning

Compete as though every day means "Prove it." 

Updated Power Rankings for 10/30

 

All the top teams are "name brands" with Woburn narrowly into the top eight. 

What every team wants is to play well headed into the postseason. Melrose can likely clinch the top four with a strong performance today. There's no "manipulation" to be had as everyone is tough in November. 

By the Numbers

“There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies, and statistics.” - quote variously attributed 

State Leaders: Sadie Smith has been in the top ten in assists all season and passed 500 for the season and surpassed 1,000 for her career. 

Adriana Santoriello breaks through the 300 career kill mark as a sophomore.

Melrose closes in on five attackers with 100 kills. Elise Marchais with 177, Adriana with 173, Amelie Johnson 104, Alisa Dautovic 95, and Sabrina McArt 80. None are seniors.

The team stands on the cusp of having six servers with 100 service points. Points as a percentage of serves can reveal stronger serves by placement, movement, or rotation. Ideally, getting about 60 percent supplies a strong statement. 

I've contended that you need three dynamic hitters to fuel a playoff run. That usually translates to averaging around ten kills/match with the potential for more. Let's look at the "stretch run" (eight games since 10/9) looking for trends (minimum 30 kills):

Elise        80 kills (10/match)

Adriana    90 kills (11.2/match)

Alisa        62 kills (8.9/match) *7 matches 

Amelie     39 kills (4.9/match)

Sabrina    33 kills (4.1/match)

Realize that different players have different responsibilities. For example, Sabrina and Amelie have larger blocking than attacking roles. 

Generally, primary blockers serve less and have fewer opportunities for receptions, digs, and service points. So, "raw statistics" don't always reflect contribution. 

The numbers argue that MVB is close to having the requisite number through attack distribution. 

Thoughts on "Attitude"

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose organization. 

Former Villanova coach Jay Wright puts attitude at the center of success. It’s one of three standards that we own: attitude, choices, and effort. No opponent, official, or scoreboard can take them away. 

This plays out in a gym every day. A server steps to the line with the match tight and the crowd noise rising, and the ball finds the net. It happens to everyone. 

What happens next tells you almost everything. One player lets her shoulders drop, her eyes go to the floor, and she trudges back to her spot. She’s already deflated, and her teammates feel it.

Another player takes a breath, lifts her chin, claps once, and resumes her ready position as if nothing happened. Same miss, same moment. The difference is attitude; that difference travels. Body language is a billboard. Teammates read it, opponents read it, and the girl in the next rotation reads it too. You broadcast strength or weakness. 

That’s the Stoic standard: "control what you can control." You can’t control the referee, the bounce off the tape, or the hitter across the net who is having the match of her life. You control how you prepare, how you respond, and how you treat your teammates. Admiral James Stockdale carried that idea through years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, drawing on Epictetus. Character holds up in every gym.

Big asks of all:

Respect everyone; fear no one. Respect keeps you humble and teachable. Fearlessness lets you play free. Together they’re hard to beat.

Always do your best. This is the Fourth Agreement, and its genius is that “best” changes from day to day. On a great day it’s a lot. On a rough day it’s less. The commitment never changes.

Know that dragons can be slain. Neil Gaiman put it this way in Coraline: “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” The bigger opponent, the deficit, and the doubt are all dragons. The fight starts with believing they can be beaten.

Focus and listening are the first price paid to excellence. Pay attention and absorb what a coach or teammate is telling you. Gia told Sadie Jaggers, "It's easier to make a good pass than a great pass." 

Sacrifice willingly. The key word is willingly. Resented sacrifice is a burden. Embrace sacrifice as a commitment to something larger than yourself. 

Talent gets you noticed. Attitude decides what follows. It costs nothing; nobody can steal it. Bring it to every practice, every timeout, and every point. Prioritize attitude.

Lagniappe. Fight through fear. 

View on Threads

"Kind" and Hard

In an age of bright and shiny objects, hacks, and fads it’s utterly refreshing, but not at all surprising, to see an obsession with craft and nailing the fundamentals rise to the top.

- Brad Stulberg

Read on Substack

AI Introduction:

A wicked domain is an environment where learning from experience is difficult because the rules are unclear or changing, feedback is delayed or misleading, and similar decisions can produce different outcomes.

Psychologist Robin Hogarth contrasted it with a kind learning environment, where patterns repeat and feedback reliably teaches you what works.

A "Kind" domain doesn't mean easy, although deliberate practice can improve the fundamentals underpinning the game. 

Data is feedback. Working your process is essential with clarity and specificity. 

• Practice serving to spots
• Reading the game is an edge. Anticipate the type and direction of serve or attack. 
• Focus. "Stops (defense) makes runs (offense)

Reading the game confers disproportionate advantage to players with the skill and athleticism to benefit from early recognition. (see Lagniappe)

Lagniappe. (Via ChatGPT Plus) "Sources of Power" informs life-and-death decision-making such as firefighting and military operations. Apply its lessons to your game. 

Gary Klein’s Sources of Power explains how experienced people recognize patterns and find workable responses under pressure. In volleyball, a setter sees a middle blocker leaning toward the pin and recognizes an opening. A defender reads the hitter’s approach and anticipates a tip. These decisions draw on accumulated experience: familiar cues suggest what is happening and what action fits.

Coaches can develop that judgment through realistic practice and brief questions: “What did you notice? What did you expect? What would change your decision?” Players learn to picture whether a response will work and adjust when the situation contradicts their expectations. The goal is thoughtful preparation that supports fast execution—seeing earlier, anticipating better, and acting with purpose.

Film study creates opportunity to accelerate learning. 

State Leaders

Maxpreps.com state leaders:

Kills:

Elise (#40) 177, Adriana (#42) 173

Assists:

Sadie (#6) 502

Digs:

Anna (#78) 190 

"Gritty not Pretty"

Sport mirrors society. Respect and perspective should extend into competition and sportsmanship.

One of the key "influence" principles is liking. 

Learn from others, even if we don't "like" them. Everyone offers a lesson—sometimes an example to follow, sometimes a mistake to avoid.

If someone watched how MVB played last night, what lessons might they take away?

1. Resilience. "Adversity is our companion."

2. Persistence. Coach Gregg Popovich's "Pound the Rock" advice applied. "If it takes a hundred hits to break it, pound the rock."

3. Body language. Body language communicates lessons to teammates, opponents, and coaches. "We live in the heat."

4. Stay the course. The plan included wearing down the middles with pin hitting. "Make them move."

5. "Use the whole field." Nobody can learn to "hit line" overnight. Make the defense defend sideline to sideline, net to endline. 

Dustin Hoffman's point..."don't judge people on their appearance." Melrose volleyball, "gritty not pretty." 

"Office Politics"

Create space for yourself with ability and reliability. These are not synonymous. Ability gets you on the court. Reliability keeps you on the court when the game is on the line.

Craft your own rules. Don't copy someone else's. Figure out what matters for you. 

Here are some to consider:

1. Build relationships. They make the team better.

2. MUDITA (Sanskrit - "Your joy is my joy." Celebrate others. 

3. "Share something great." Sharing builds societies. 

4. Learn every day. 

5. "Be a tracker." - Winners are trackers. 

6. Mentor others. "Mentoring is the only shortcut to success."

7. Lead. "Leaders make leaders." 

8. Have a gratitude practice. Every success had help. Thank others.

9. Work on communication - verbal, nonverbal, written. 

10.Protect your character and competence with hard work.

11.Network - give people a reason and a chance to help. 

Caveats: 

1. Not everyone wants you to succeed. "Prove them wrong." 

2. Look for opportunities to lead.

3. Journal. Write down important lessons you learn. They might become of your storytelling practice. 

4. Fall in love with truth. 

5. Work to be kind even when others are not. 

Regularly review and revise your plan. Keep the story moving as we search for personal growth. 

Lagniappe. 

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Stats v Woburn

Stats generally appear first on the Maxpreps.com app and then the website.

Kills - Adriana (21), Alisa (15), Elise (9)

Assists - Sadie (46), four with one 

Service points - Adriana (13), Sadie (13)

Digs - Sadie (18), Anna (11)

Receptions - Gen (26), Alisa (20), Adriana (17)

Triple Doubles: 

Sadie (assists, service points, digs)

Adriana (kills, service points, receptions)

Game 19: Melrose 3 Woburn 2

Melrose faced Division 2 #9 ranked Woburn (3.17) and outlasted the Tanners at neutral site Winchester, 20-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, and 15-10 to earn the consolation round win.

The win lifts Melrose's record to 15-4 headed into another tough road contest at Methuen on Friday, the final regular season match. 

The match proved 'seasonally appropriate' as it informed "trick or treat" volleyball with Woburn dominating early and Melrose controlling the action late. 

Woburn (13-6) features strong defense and solid attacking and has given Melrose fits this season.

Woburn controlled much of the first set as Melrose struggled with their size and blocking. 

In the second set, Melrose started to turn the momentum, although the Tanners had enough of a lead to hold on with a set-ending ace.

Melrose Coach Scott Celli made a lineup change in the third set, bringing on more height with sophomore Lorena Contin who had played well in the Newburyport match.

Gradually, Melrose found their footing and made strategic changes as well to limit the Woburn offense. Meanwhile, sophomores Alisa Dautovic and Adriana Santoriello began finding the range with a variety of attacks from the pins. 

In the fourth set, it was more of the same with solid defense from the back including Gen Overlan and Dani DiGiorgio, strong setting from Sadie Smith and key winners from Elise Marchais, forcing the fifth set tiebreaker. 

Woburn led 2-0, 4-2, and 8-7 at the switch in the tiebreaker. But Melrose stayed in the fight, with key winners from Alisa and Adriana. Melrose edged out ahead 12-9 and Woburn scored to bring them within two. A Scott Celli timeout encouraged a service error and Alisa Dautovic closed out the scoring with strong serves. 

Melrose notes: Arguably, this was the best comeback on the season, one noted for strong opposition as Melrose is among the leaders in the Division 2 Opponent Rating (strength of schedule). 

The win reflected both solid team volleyball and resilience, coming back after having lost five sets this season to a quality Woburn team. 

Three keys to the game were better defense down the stretch which throttled back opponent runs, serving that forced Woburn into out-of-system play, and moving the attack away from the middle where Woburn had fierce blocking. 

Going into the final few days of the regular season, Melrose holds a narrow power ranking edge over Hingham, Longmeadow, Canton, and Barnstable. 

As usual, Melrose was led by the all-around excellence of setter Sadie Smith, the quarterback of the offense and an exceptional defender. 

Sadie had 46 assists, Adriana 21 kills, Alisa 15, and Elise 9.

The Ball Has No Energy

A basketball truth says, "The ball has energy." No.

The blood, sweat, and tears you invest and sacrifice propel each twist and turn.

Metaphorically, A = B. An inanimate object with 18 panels, weighing 9-10 ounces, has no energy. The ball stays there until it deflates or gets used. 

You animate the ball's meaning. The ball "plays" at the highest levels or sits dead on the hardwood maple. You bring it to life. Starting today. 

 

Impact

 

Image created with ChatGPT Plus

Purpose

"Leaders must embed their own sense of purpose into the heart and soul of every follower. The purpose starts from the leader at the top, and through infectious, dynamic, passionate leadership, it is driven down throughout the organization." - General Colin Powell in It Worked for Me

What's the purpose of Melrose Volleyball? The answer, the why of the players is what matters most. It could be: 

• Be the best version of ourselves every day.
• Play the best volleyball we possibly can. 
• Have the best athletic experience of any community.

Those are just a few answers. Your answer is what counts. The answer reflects your WHY? 

Image created by ChatGPT Plus

The purpose of "the blog" is to provide updates on MVB, volleyball education, and education in general. 

Coach Scott Celli's purpose is to help you, the players, achieve your goals and fulfill your dreams. Like a movie director, he is the keeper of the story. 

What does Sinek say about "why?" 

Simon Sinek — Top 3 Principles of WHY

1. People Don’t Buy What You Do — They Buy Why You Do It

This is the cornerstone.

• What you do is obvious.

• How you do it may differentiate you.

• Why you do it is what creates belief, trust, and loyalty.

Coaching translation:
Players don’t commit to drills, systems, or standards. They commit to purpose. When the WHY is clear, effort becomes self-directed rather than enforced.

2. The WHY Must Be Clear, Consistent, and Authentic

WHY isn’t a slogan or a motivational poster. It has to show up every day.

• Decisions must align with it.

• Language must reinforce it.

• Behavior must model it.

If actions contradict the WHY, credibility collapses.

Coaching translation:
If you say “we’re about team” but reward selfish behavior, players stop listening. Culture always follows behavior, not words.

3. WHY Inspires Action; WHAT and HOW Only Inform

Logic explains. Purpose motivates.

• WHAT and HOW appeal to reason.

• WHY appeals to emotion and identity.

• Emotion drives commitment under pressure.

Coaching translation:
In close games, tired legs don’t respond to tactics alone. They respond to meaning—who we are and why this matters.

The bottom line: WHY creates belief, aligns behavior, and sustains effort when motivation fades.

Enjoy the group experience, the joy of competition, and the desire for shared success, what you achieve together. 

Lagniappe. Find a few tips to instill in your game. I liked these:

• Serve where they're not.
• Communicate.
• Know your role

Lagniappe 2. "Women Being Heard." Sport challenges all participants. And everyone faces adversity - no playing well, not playing, physical or mental health issues. Support each other. 

Stats vs Reading

Maxpreps.com stats 

Assists - Sadie (14)

Kills - Amelie (6)

Digs - Adriana (6)

Receptions - Gen (15), Adriana (14), Dani (11)