14th straight ML title for unbeaten volleyball (11-0)
Published April 23, 2021
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—It was a milestone that the Melrose High varsity volleyball team wanted to reach on April 19, when they finished their regular season unbeaten at 10-0 as the sole winners of the Middlesex Freedom League, and then topped it off with a league playoff win over Belmont on Tuesday night to make it 11-0. Next on the docket is a trip to semifinals at home on Thursday against Lexington. A win there will punch Melrose to the ML12 finals on Saturday for a probable match up against undefeated Winchester, likely on the road.
Getting to this point, Melrose had to secure wins over upstart Wakefield on Saturday and a tough Burlington (8-2) team on Monday, whose only losses this season have come at Melrose’s hands. It was mission accomplished as Melrose swept both teams, 3-0. Against Burlington, Melrose beat the competitive Red Devils in sets of 25-22, 25-16 and 25-16. Melrose was led in scoring by Elena Soukos with 14 kills.
During the course of Scott Celli’s 20+ year coaching career at MHS, Melrose has only not won the Middlesex League twice—in 2002 and 2006. That goes to show how acutely Melrose High has made design of the league. Things are different these days; the team is playing on a reduced schedule with no state tournament. (And given their level of play, this team might have made a serious run at a state title) Regardless of a lack of statewide playoffs, the goals remain the same. “We’re a team-orientated group,” says Melrose coach Scott Celli. “No one is playing for themselves. Everyone knows their roles. Even though we’re in a pandemic, our team goal hasn’t changed: win the league, win the ML 12. That’s the highest goal we can achieve because of COVID-19. So, whether we play 10 games or 20, as always, we aim for the highest.”
After 20 years of constant success it feels like old times for Melrose, who has produced a mind-spinning amount of talent under Celli’s guidance, thanks in part, to his youth summer training camp. But in these 20 years, much of the culture of volleyball has changed. First and foremost, club volleyball is more popular in the state, which ups everyone’s game. As a result, many more teams in the ML12 (large and small divisions) show strength. “This is how we want it,” says Celli. “We want to see high school volleyball advance in talent and strength. It’s a good thing to have teams like Wakefield and Burlington really step up their game and become a threat. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
This season, coach Celli has a team he could only dream of. “This is a special team,” he says. “We have a lot of offensive weapons but we also have poised athletes who maintain composure and don’t get rattled. There’s also a lot of volleyball IQ on this team so we can get creative with play out there. A lot of that comes from the top with our captains [Autumn Whelan, Chloe Gentile, Emily Hudson] who lead by example.”
In a recent game, Melrose tallied a massive 57 kills in 4 sets against Wakefield, a team capable of scooping anything off the floor. That goes to show the power of Melrose hitters. “We have about 5, perhaps 6, hitters who make life miserable for defense. We love having these options. This is fairly new for us, many teams are lucky to have 3.”
Thus, this isn’t a season in which one player will break school records. “This is a team-first approach and I think they all understand that. It’s working.”
Still, in the last three games, junior Elena Soukos has showed particular strength with 35 kills. Against Burlington, she single-handedly reversed a 20-11 deficit and gave Melrose a 25-22 set win from her hitting and serving. Says Celli, “Elena’s one of the best all around players in the division, definitely the league. I might put her up there with anyone in the state.”
Celli also credited senior setter Eva Haralabatos for managing her hitters. “Eva does a great job reading particularly tough hitters and blockers, like Burlington’s Sam Mirra. Eva always knows where to send the ball.” Meanwhile, all defense leads through junior libero Autumn Whelan. “What I like about Autumn is you’re not going to see her diving all over the floor,” says Celli. “She doesn’t have to. Autumn moves her feet and can anticipate where the ball is coming. She always maintains her cool.” Meanwhile, having captains Emily Hudson and Chloe Gentile together up front as middles is a wonderful luxury, according to the coach. “Emily is hitting harder than ever and Chloe is a versatile player who commands up front.”
Melrose made it 11 wins just a day later on Tuesday when they hosted Belmont in the quarterfinal round of the ML12 playoffs. Melrose swept the Marauders, 3-0, in sets of 25-10, 25-12 and 25-11. Belmont entered the game #4 seed but never really proved a threat. Leading in kills were Chloe Gentile, Abby Hudson and Elena Soukos, all with 10.
After the game, Celli made note of the teams’ effort, particularly that of his three captains. “I’m the luckiest coach in the world to have these girls.” Captains Emily Hudson, Autumn Whelan and Chloe Gentile spoke of the team’s 11-game unbeaten journey in this impromptu Fall2 season. So far, the season has been nothing short of remarkable. Melrose lost a boat load of talented seniors last year and reloaded effortlessly and have also played uninterrupted during COVID-19.
“We definitely improved as the season progressed,” says senior Emily Hudson, who will continue her volleyball career at W.P.I. next fall. “I think the key to that is staying pumped up, keeping energy high and maintaining consistency.”
Junior libero Autumn Whelan saw a turning point in the Wakefield contest. “In our first game against Wakefield we saw a step up in competition. Even when we were down, we battled back. I think we encourage each other to bounce back because we have a strong bond as a team. We just work well together.”
This season has featured heavy offense and Chloe Gentile is one of the key cogs. She recognized that Melrose’s many weapons are making a big difference in production. “Having a good variety of hitters opens up different options for us,” Gentile says.
Hudson agrees. “It leads to more scoring.”
With more games to go, Melrose will only briefly savor their title because it’s back to work. Should Melrose advance past Lexington on Thursday they will likely travel to Winchester on Saturday to take on the undefeated Sachems, who have yet to lose a set. Says Gentile, “Winchester is always a strong team but we are going to bring everything we have to take them down.”
In the meantime, the girls are back to training, and coach Celli back to the clipboard. Says Celli, “The ML 12 is maybe the best league in the state. So, overall, we checked one box off in our goals. End of the day, it’s nice for the league title to be all ours.”
Fans can watch Thursday’s effort at Melrose High TV at TinyUrl.com/MelroseLive at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Stay updated on our social media pages for any weekend tournament updates including Saturday’s final.
