2021 ML Champs: (top left) Asst. coach Ryan Schmitt, Leah Fowke, Ava Burns, Gia Vlajkovic, Sadie Jaggers, capt. Abby Hudson, capt. Chloe Gentile, capt. Elena Soukos, Anna Shoemaker, asst. coach Lydia Mays, head coach Scott Celli. Front: Gigi Albuja, Ruth Breen, capt. Autumn Whelan, Emma Desmond, Grace Gentile and Ava McSorley. (Raj Das www.edphotos.com)
First team since 2017 to reach 20 wins
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—And now, they’re on the road.
The Melrose High girls’ volleyball team inched closer to a Div. 2 State Final following two playoff victories over Amherst-Pelham and North Quincy this week. Melrose’s two wins improve them to 20-2 entering Elite 8 play, making them the first Melrose team since 2017 to earn 20 wins in a season. Melrose (20-2) is slated to play #4 seed Billerica on the road at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday (post deadline) for the right to play in Div. 2 state semifinals next week.
On Tuesday, in what represented their last home game of the year, #5 seed Melrose packed a gym against North Quincy with dueling, chanting fans supporting their teams from bleacher sections. Melrose swept the No. 21 seed Raiders, 3-0, in sets of 25-17, 25-21, 25-17. Melrose senior captain Abby Hudson led in scoring with 12 kills, along with fellow senior captain Elena Soukos.
Melrose coach Scott Celli was thrilled with the effort. “They [N. Quincy] were a great defensive team and made a lot of plays.They weren’t a hard hitting team necessarily, but placed the ball well and made our defense move. Our game plan was to serve away from their libero and we did that to a good extent. And our defense came up big, we had two pancake digs in the back row. And I thought our hitter Abby [Hudson] played her best game of the year.”
THE MELROSE High girls’ volleyball team advances to State quarterfinals after back-to-back wins this week. (Raj Das www.edphotos.com)
Melrose took a quick 8-3 lead in set one behind kills from Abby Hudson and Gia Vlajkovic but saw N. Quincy take a lead of 9-8. But Melrose would take advantage of fouls and recapture the lead to an eventual 25-17 set win. Set two featured some signature daggers from Elena Soukos and more steady hitting from Hudson to keep Melrose toe-to-toe with North Quincy. They took a critical 15-14 lead they wouldn’t lose behind a Sadie Jaggers kill and three more kills from Abby Hudson gave Melrose a 25-21 win. In set three Melrose was in full control, with solid serving from Autumn Whelan (18 digs) and Gia Vlajkovic (29 assists), and strong blocking up from from Chloe Gentile. North Quincy, unable to penetrate a tough front wall of Gentile, Vlajkovic and Soukos, attempted short balls that Melrose’s back row (Ava McSorley, Emma Desmond) wouldn’t let drop as they aided libero Whelan with pancake digs. More kills from Gentile and Soukos closed the door on the Raiders, and Melrose celebrated on the floor in victory formation, ready to hit the road to Elite 8 competition.
Melrose will join the fray of Westborough, Billerica, Hopkinton, King Phillip, Woburn, Dartmouth and Westwood, who are all looking to make it to the final dance.
Worth noting is that Melrose’s 20-2 record puts them in the company of past MHS teams that reached state finals, including the 24-3 team of 2017 (state semifinalists) and teams of 2014 and 2015. Melrose High’s only state champion volleyball team entered the 2012 State Final game at 25-1. So, while they are in great company, they also have work ahead of them and more practice time to stay sharp.
One thing is for sure: Melrose is not taking its foot off the gas pedal. Says Celli, “They work hard in practice and it translates into how they play the game. They play with urgency. It’s do or die. You go home if you lose. And this team will do everything they can to win.”
Billerica High will host Melrose on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 6:00 p.m. Check our social media pages for updates.
