By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
For three years now Palisades High middle blocker Angel Echipue has given opponents nightmares at the net. Now teams have to contend with her sister Melody, too. They are a major reason why the Dolphins’ varsity volleyball squad is undefeated in Western League action and considered a strong contender for the City Section Division I championship.
Making the varsity roster as a freshman is no small task at a school like Palisades, but Melody knows better than to bring up that fact around her older sibling.
“Angel made varsity her sophomore year, but we don’t talk about it,” says Melody, whose teammates affectionately call her ‘freshy’ and cheer when she wins a point. “Of course, I look up to Angel a lot. It’s really fun when either of us gets a hit. We especially like blocking together.”
Born in Munich, Germany, they moved to the Palisades when Angel was in eighth grade and Melody was in fifth. Their little sister Miracle, a sixth-grader at Paul Revere Middle School, is a lefty setter who also aspires to play for Palisades. All three girls started in gymnastics and also played tennis before gravitating to volleyball.
“It’s great to actually play with her,” says Angel, who plans to attend a Division III college on the East Coast. “I watch her in warmups and give her some advice, but I don’t want her to copy me.”
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
