Melissa Gray鈥檚 senior season not in session this year with Westfield State
Westfield, Mass. (BVM) — Senior guard Melissa Gray missed out on her season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.聽
The NCAA canceled all Division III winter athletics because of the rise of Covid-19 cases. Along with that came the cancelation of Division III basketball, where juniors and seniors from across the nation had to miss their seasons.
鈥淲hen I got the news about not having a season this year, I was really disappointed,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淚t was heart-breaking news because as soon as my season ended last year, I was getting ready and looking forward to playing this season. It was really hard to receive the news, but all you can do is prepare for what comes next. Fortunately, I am able to do a fifth-year to finish my athletic career and I am extremely grateful to have that opportunity.鈥�
It has been a struggle for so many across the nation, especially collegiate athletes. It鈥檚 been tough for so many who have dedicated their time to perfecting their craft like Gray this past year.
鈥淒uring the pandemic, I have definitely had my fair share of ups and downs,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淚t has been a struggle, however, I know how important it is to keep a positive attitude. During the summer, it was difficult to find hoops that weren鈥檛 taking down and this made it challenging to find ways to keep working on and developing my shot. Every opportunity I get to play basketball is a blessing, and this pandemic has really shown me to never take it for granted.鈥澛�
Gray is a native of Peabody, Mass. where she went to Peabody Veteran鈥檚 Memorial High School for all four years. Gray played varsity basketball all throughout her high school career as well. She grew up in a household full of competition, where her competitiveness and determination grew.
鈥淚 have been playing basketball for as long as I can remember,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淢ost of my family played basketball so I grew up learning from my dad, my brothers and my sister. I always loved competing with my siblings, and they always pushed me to be my best.鈥澛�
Every basketball player has one aspect about basketball that they love the most. It can be the way the basketball net makes its noise when you sink a shot or the way the hardwood sounds when players are running on top of it.聽
鈥淏asketball has had such a huge impact on my life it鈥檚 hard to pick just one thing I love about it,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淚f I had to choose, I would have to say that when I am out on the court, nothing else matters. I love that it clears my mind of everything else going on in my life, and all I am focused on is the game. It has helped me with my struggles and hardships throughout my life.鈥�
Playing for a coach who has her name engraved in the record books and her name up in the rafters in the Woodward Center is an amazing thing. Coach Andrea Bertini holds a bundle of 3-point records such as career 3-pointers made (287) and attempts (769). Bertini finished off her career with 1, 310 points which puts her sixth on the all time list at Westfield State.聽
鈥淧laying for Andrea Bertini has truly been rewarding and I am so glad that she recruited me to come play at Westfield State,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淐oach Bertini is the one of the top reasons I came to Westfield, mainly because of how great of a coach she is and also how personable she is. When I was looking at colleges for basketball, I wanted to be on a team that was hard-working, but also enjoyable to play for. The past three years have exceeded my expectations on that. Coach Bertini has helped me get to where I am today and I can鈥檛 thank her enough for that.鈥�
Coming out of high school, the 5-foot-8 forward had a lot of different options that she could have taken for her basketball career. In the end, Westfield State became the perfect fit.聽
鈥淚 chose to come to Westfield State to continue my athletic career and education for a few different reasons,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淚 wanted to be able to have a good balance between basketball and school, but a big deciding factor for me was the coaching and the team dynamic. Coach Bertini was very persistent when she was recruiting me and I liked that. She made me feel as though I would be a perfect fit for the team, and she was right.鈥�
Gray last year beat her own coaches record with nine 3-pointers made in a single game. She would later on break that record,聽 tallying up 10 3-pointers in a game against Fitchburg.
Gray is also in the record books for fourth all time most points in a game with 37 against Fitchburg State. During that game, she reached her 1,000-point as a collegiate athlete, a record she had her sights set on. Gray is also number nine on the all time points list with 1,297 points.聽
The Owls鈥� forward has one more year of eligibility and is looking to take advantage of this great opportunity. From her freshman year to her last year coming up, she has grown to be quite the basketball player.
鈥淟ooking back on my college career, I feel as though I have grown tremendously since I came in as a freshman,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淢y coaches and teammates have helped me develop my game and become a better overall basketball player. Throughout the past few years, I have worked on developing my shot and becoming a better defender.鈥�
Players will gain life lessons that they can take with them after their playing days are over. For Gray, the ones she learned at Westfield State will stick with her forever.
鈥淭here are many important life lessons that I have learned from playing basketball,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淥ne of them is to never dwell on the past because all you can do is focus on what鈥檚 ahead of you. It鈥檚 easy to get down on yourself in a game, or generally in life, and it鈥檚 so important to keep your head up and keep pushing because you don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to come next.鈥�
Gray is looking forward to her next and final season as an Owl. She has the goal of breaking her school record in points, as well as gaining another MASCAC Championship.聽
