There wasn’t time to be caught up emotionally in the different situations encountered by the Burbank High boys’ volleyball team.
Burbank found itself on the cusp of victory and defeat during the final two sets of its two-hour Pacific League home match against Glendale.
In the end, Burbank found a way to prevail with a 21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 27-29, 15-13 victory Wednesday
Burbank (8-13, 2-2 in league) missed four opportunities in the fourth set to close out the match before having to overcome a deficit in the fifth set to outlast Glendale (13-3, 1-2).
It wasn’t easy for the Bulldogs, who played their first league match that went the distance.
“So many things are going through your mind in between those last two sets,” said Burbank second-year coach James Cowart, a former Burbank player and 2013 graduate. “It’s about are you able to recover and learn from what happened and regain your focus.
“We were able to do that, but it wasn’t easy. I told them in between the fourth and fifth sets what they needed to do and they responded well. I don’t like fifth sets because you only go to 15 points.”
Burbank overcame a 13-11 deficit in the fifth set before closing out with a 4-0 run that included a kill and ace from senior outside hitter Noah Lintag.
Lintag’s ace gave the Bulldogs a 14-13 lead.
“It was a little crazy toward the end,” said Lintag, who finished with a team-high 15 kills. “It’s about trying to get that momentum and energy and being able to keep it going. We had to make some serves at the end and not outthink ourselves.”
In the fourth set, the Bulldogs built leads of 24-23, 25-24, 26-25 and 27-26, only to see the Nitros bounce back. A kill by Lintag gave Burbank a 27-26 before Glendale recorded the next three points.
The Bulldogs held a 23-20 lead in the third set. A kill by Ryan Viyar (12 kills) and ace by Ian Villaflor gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage.
Burbank used a 9-1 run to close out the second set. Lintag and Viyar had two kills apiece in that stretch to aid the Bulldogs.
In the first set, Burbank raced to a 12-4 advantage on an ace from Taiyo Makao. However, Glendale rallied by finishing on a 21-9 run.
Cowart said the Bulldogs have made some strides nearing the midway point of league action.
“We just have to play the way we are capable of playing and we can make the playoffs,” said Cowart, whose squad didn’t qualify for the postseason last season. “We’re confident we can do some things to improve to get there.”
The Bulldogs and Nitros will meet again April 13 at Glendale.
Burbank will participate in another league home match at 3:30 p.m. Friday versus Pasadena.
