CHLOE GENTILE helped lead a strong blocking effort against Amherst. The junior captain tallied 7 kills in the win. (Raj Das www.edphotos.com)

 


3-0 first round win advanced volleyball team

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—If its November, that must mean volleyball playoffs in Melrose.

That was the feeling on Sat. Nov 6 when Melrose opened their Div. 2 playoff run by hosting #28 seed Amherst Pelham who took the two hour drive to Melrose to fall to the Red Raiders 3-0 in sets of 25-8, 25-5 and 25-13.

Senior captain Elena Soukos had a massive 17 kills for Melrose while junior captain Chloe Gentile tallied 7 in the middle. The duo put on a show in set one, aided by a fantastic serving effort from senior southpaw Ava Burns, who helped Melrose take an immediate 8-0 lead. Melrose would finish the job 25-8. A fantastic service run by Abby Hudson helped Melrose take a 10-0 lead in set two behind several Hudson aces. Middles Sadie Jagger and Chloe Gentile had a run with kills that made it a 19-4 game. Melrose closed the door behind kills from Abby Hudson and a solid serving effort from Autumn Whelan, 25-5. Set three was all Soukos who put on a show with 7 kills, including the set winner at 25-13.

Melrose coach Scott Celli spoke of the win after the game. “I think we played with an extra oomph tonight. It’s tough to scout us because we bring a lot of offensive options. And there were not many hiccups out there. I thought our serving and defense did the job. We worked on blocking all week. Volleyball is a game of momentum and we took it early.”

The MIAA’s new playoff format (elimination of sectionals) has made fans and enemies out of players, sport fans and coaches. Count Celli in as a fan. “I like the new arrangement,” he says. “Of course, I didn’t have to travel two hours and I suppose if we did, I’d have a different perspective of it. But I think it’s nice to experiment. I’m always up for change when it helps the sport and playing statewide helps the sport.”

Melrose’s quad captains spoke of their long journey since September. They only have two losses under their belts; while it wasn’t always easy, they got it done. Senior captain Abby Hudson recently returned off the injury list and her presence has made a huge impact. She noted that their recent success feels like a cohesive effort. “I think it shows how hard we work,” she says.  “We play strong when we work together as a team and right now this is where we want to be.”

 

ELENA SOUKOS had 17 kills in Melrose’s 3-0 opening round win over Amherst. (Raj Das www.edphotos.com)

 

Senior libero Autumn Whelan noted the intensity the team plays with. “We do our best not to worry about who is on the other side of the net. We play with a sense of urgency and step up our effort to play our best game.”

After twenty games and months after those sweltering practices in August, Melrose still has plenty of ball left. Says senior captain Elena, “Playing together so long, I think we’ve formed a good connection after 20 games and we keep helping each other improve so it’s been great.”

Junior captain Chloe Gentile has been a starter since freshman year and was asked what makes this team particularly special. Gentile answered, “We have the best chemistry. We’re definitely the most bonded team I’ve played on. Every practice is fun.”

One thing they all agree on? They said in unison,

“We want to go all the way!”