Published in the September 21, 2018 edition
Lady Raiders remain undefeated at 5-0
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose High volleyball team is off to an undefeated 5-0 start to the season with back-to-back league wins over Stoneham and Wilmington and continue Freedom League play this week.
The Lady Raiders have enjoyed wins over Woburn, Wilmington and Stoneham, and while some teams proved trickier than others—Woburn stretched Melrose to 5 sets— head coach Scott Celli likes what he sees from this team.
“Woburn earned their set wins, I give them credit,” he said. “We have been trying different combinations on the floor, finding the right people in the right spot, and sometimes it might contribute to a struggle in a set, but we fight back for the overall win and I think Woburn was an example of that.”
After falling to a 2-0 deficit, Melrose battled back thanks to hitting from Emily Hudson, who led with 16 kills, and Emma Randolph with 14. But a real game changer was a huge service run from junior captain Erin Torpey. Her seven service points flipped a 12-7 deficit to a 14-7 lead. Says Celli, “Erin brings so much to the floor, she’s like a swiss army knife. We ask so much from her. She can hit, defend and even set if we need her to. She’s the only player who doesn’t leave the floor.”
Attacker Emma Randolph has shined in the early season, leading the team in total kills with 61, including 15 kills against Stoneham, who fell to Melrose 3-1 on Monday. “Emma is one of the best hitters around, definitely a focal point for us on offense,” says Celli. “More or less she’s been our go-to player, though we have a lot of options too.”
That includes sophomore hitter Emily Hudson, who has had an incredible rise in play this season in her transition to middle hitter. She’s second in leading the team in scoring. “There have been more opportunities for Emily, and she has brought her game to the next level in hitting and blocking,” says her coach. “She also brings a great energy to the floor.” That has been evident with her 16 kills against Woburn and 12 kills against Stoneham on Monday.
Claire Albuja has emerged as a strong hitter in recent efforts, racking up 13 kills in two recent games, including 8 against Stoneham. “She had a strong game in our Wilmington win [3-0] and that earned a spot against Stoneham and in that game she did great,” says Celli.
Melrose’s Sofia Centrella has also started in most of the sets and has tallied 22 kills to date.
Defensively, Celli is happy with what he sees. Nicole Abbot continues to be a strong presence as libero. “She does the boatload of work, is playing great and has been a great leader.”
He also credits Mary Kate Mahoney for her incredible back row work. “She has been so important for us. She compliments Nicole in the back row, and her serving has been fantastic for us. She can mix it up and bring deliver various attacks. Her volleyball IQ is excellent.”
Caroline Keiran is racking up big numbers at setter, including 32 assists against Stoneham. Says her coach, “She’s doing a good job and even though she is young and learning, I think playing behind Lily [Fitzgerald] helped her grow.” Freshman setter Autumn Whelan has also seen time on varsity, including sets against Wilmington last Friday.
One problem Celli doesn’t have is a lack of options. Having so many individually talented players leaves them searching for their specific identity.
“I think that’s one thing we really want to focus on as this week continues,” says Celli. “What kind of team are we? What kind of team do we want to be? It’s still early and these things will be ironed out.”
It might take a few more games for Melrose to find that niche and/or comfort zone, but they get a chance to work on that when they host Watertown this Friday at 5:00 p.m. at the Melrose Middle School gym.