Sister makes three

The latest Barrett volleys for Medfield

Medfield High's Caitlin Barrett serves in a Wednesday game against Westwood. (PHOTOS BY Robert E. Klein for The Boston Globe)

C aitlin Barrett, quite simply, works the floor and puts balls in hard-to-reach spots like few other volleyball players in the state. Her high school coach calls her "one of the most athletic kids I've coached. Period."

And you'd have to think that short list also includes her two older sisters.

The Medfield High senior is no stranger to success, having played a pivotal role in the Warriors' Division 2 state championship runs in 2005 and 2006. Those runs came alongside her sisters - Molly and Lauren, who were Globe All-Scholastics in '05 and '06, respectively.

In a sport where communication and feel for a teammate's tendencies are vital to success, there's certainly an advantage to having three talented sisters on one squad.

"That was one of the best things about playing with my sisters. We were the same blood, we knew how each other played," she said. "That translates, even with our other teammates. I mean, we're so close that it's easy getting a chemistry going on the court, because it's already there off the court."

Around the house and nearly daily after practices, Caitlin pestered her older sisters with various questions - on volleyball strategy and skill, and, of course, life.

And considering the pedigree, it wasn't exactly a bad security blanket to have. So last season was certainly different.

"It was interesting. It was hard because I was so used to having them around me - at least one of them," she said. "It was good - not that I don't love being around them, but it was good for me to be on my own. But it was definitely hard to play without them."

Funny, because last fall Barrett had one of the most outstanding seasons in the area. With Lauren's departure, 5-foot-8 Caitlin took over her sister's position as setter, moving up from the libero spot. She was good enough to earn Globe All-Scholastic honors, making it the third straight season that a Barrett was represented on the team.

"She's very athletic, very athletic," Medfield High coach Jack Hastings said. "The Barretts, all three are athletic. But with her, anything she tries to do, she does it a couple times, and then she becomes pretty good at it."

The Warriors embarked on a 20-3 campaign last fall, snapping Barnstable High's six-year, 110-game winning streak against in-state opponents in the process. But they came up short of a three-peat, bowing out to eventual state champion Westborough High in the Central sectional final, 3-2.

This season, there is a youth movement within the program - four returning starters, but 12 new faces. Cause for concern? Barrett enjoys their company.

Not to mention, her favorite target is back, too. Senior outside hitter Melissa Haskell joined Barrett this spring on the Newton-based Smash club, coached by Newton North head coach Richard Barton. The Smash won the New England Regionals championship in May.

The two feed off each other very well, and like to play a quick, up-tempo style of offense. One of Barrett's favorite things to do is set the ball low for Haskell, who fakes outside before moving across the middle into position for a spike just as the ball is delivered to her.

Playing out of a 6-2 formation alongside Haskell, Ally Le-Bruno, and setter Jess McCloud, all Tri-Valley League All-Stars a year ago, the starting rotation achieves a tight chemistry. Georgia Newman, Natalie Dickson, and Cathleen Krah are among the more prominent new faces cracking the lineup.

So far, confidence is high. The Warriors played in an exhibition tournament in Darien, Conn., where they went up against some of the top teams in that state along with Bay State powers like Bourne and, of course, Barnstable.

This weekend, Medfield is in Montrose, N.Y., for a tournament hosted by Hendrick Hudson High, the defending back-to-back Class A New York State champions.

But as Barrett points out, "we can't get too ahead of ourselves. I mean, we know we're a talented team, but we can't play like we know we're talented."

They just have to play like they've known each other forever - just the way the Barretts used to draw it up.

Brendan Hall can be reached at bhall59@hotmail.com