Published September 18, 2019
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
LYNNFIELD — Last season was a memorable one for the Lynnfield High girls’ volleyball team as the Pioneers reached the Division 2 state semifinals before getting edged 3-2 by eventual state champion Groton-Dunstable.
The team ended up going 22-3.
Lynnfield only lost one senior from that team as everybody else returned when training camp opened in August. Two of the players back are this year’s senior captains, Melissa Morelli and Mac Schena. For Morelli, it is her second year as a captain as she was a Cape Ann League First-Team All-Star last fall.
Other seniors back are Sam Lebruska, Sofia Ciriello, Ashley Pagliuca and Sophia Wilkinson.
Lebruska and Wilkinson were both CAL All-Stars last year. Lebruska was on the First-Team while Wilkerson was on the Second-Team.
THE PIONEERS return many players from their historic run to the Div. 2 state semifinals last year, including seniors Sofia Ciriello (2), captain Mac Schena, Sam Lebruska, captain Melissa Morelli (13) and Sophia Wilkinson (7). (Dan Pawlowski File Photo)
The two juniors back are Daniella Colarusso and Jill Babine.
Despite the fact that they are the heavy favorite to win the CAL title again this fall, second-year head coach Brent Ashley knows his squad will not take things for granted.
“They know that everything has to be earned,” said Ashley.
So far, things are going great for the Pioneers as they improved to 6-0 on Monday afternoon beating host Masconomet, 3-0. They won the first game, 27-25, the second one, 25-16, and the final one, 25-21.
With that win, they went to 5-0 in the CAL.
In a non-league game last Friday afternoon, the Pioneers won at Reading 3-0. They won 25-15, 25-19, and 25-19.
On Sept. 11, they beat North Reading at home 3-0. All three games were 25-10 finals.
Lynnfield got win number three on Sept. 10 as they won at Georgetown 3-0. They won, 25-4, 25-9, and 25-9 against the overmatched Royals.
On Sept. 6, the Pioneers beat CAL newcomer Pentucket, 3-0, at home. Last year, Pentucket was a co-op team with Georgetown.
The Pioneers won, 25-2, 25-4, and 25-4.
On Opening Day, the Pioneers won at Triton 3-0, as they won, 25-11, 25-17 and 25-12.
After six games, Morelli leads the team in kills with 72 while Schena and junior Ava Buonfiglio lead the team in blocks with six.
Lebruska leads the team in aces with 44 and service points with 95.
Pagliuca leads the team in digs with 52 while Wilkinson is the team leader in assists with 71.
Ashley feels that his team is ready to make another serious bid for the Division 2 state crown this year.
“The girls really want it,” he stated.
Lynnfield will play a 20-game regular-season schedule this fall. Along with Reading, they will play North Andover (twice), and Arlington Catholic for their non-league games.
On Sept. 18, the Pioneers will visit North Andover. Two days later, they welcome Hamilton-Wenham as they return to CAL action.
Both of those matches will start at 5:15 p.m.
