By Rick Assad
It was tense, it was tight and it was a fierce and exciting battle when Burbank High hosted Village Christian in a nonleague boys’ volleyball match.
On Friday afternoon the Crusaders and Bulldogs divided the first two sets, but the visitors took the next two and earned a 25-14, 25-23, 25-16, 25-23 triumph.
In the second set, Village Christian led 4-2 with a kill from junior outside hitter/middle blocker Danny Franco but a block from Burbank senior Farkhat Taishev evened it at 7-7.
Burbank junior Michael Becker added a kill that leveled it at 12-12 and a push from Village Christian junior middle blocker Alex Franco tied it 14-14.
A kill from Burbank junior Brandon Chong tied it at 16-16 and a tapper from Becker knotted it at 18-18.
The Crusaders (1-1) forged in front 20-19 on a winner from senior outside hitter/opposite hitter Alex Garcia as the Bulldogs (0-2) called a time out.
A kill from Village Christian junior outside hitter Alex Kazaryan made 22-21 in favor of the visitors but the Bulldogs took four of the next five points including a push from Burbank senior Caiden Kai Abarabar that sliced the Crusaders’ lead to 23-22.
The Bulldogs powered in front 24-23 on Alex Franco’s hitting error and the set was capped on a hitting miscue by Kazaryan.
Brandon Villaflor is Burbank’s head coach and even though the Bulldogs lost, he liked what he saw.
“I’m proud of my team today despite the results,” he said. “We stayed aggressive with our offense as well as staying scrappy throughout the match.”
Villaflor added: “I thought we did a good job of responding to their runs and their attacks,” he said. “We just couldn’t make a run ourselves at times.”
During the final game it was deadlocked at 4-4 on a kill from Becker and a spike from Burbank senior Tyler Tran made it 7-7.
Village Christian then went on a 6-2 run and led 13-9 on co-blocks from junior middle blocker Nicholas Vartanian and junior outside hitter/middle blocker Aaron Kim.
When Alex Franco chimed in with a stuff, the Crusaders led 16-12 and Village Christian junior setter Walton Salazar tossed in a block for a 17-13 lead.
Vartanian’s kill made it 20-16 but Burbank took five of the next six points and evened it at 21-21 on a kill from Chong.
Village Christian led 23-21 on a block from Salazar as Burbank asked for time and the Crusaders won two of the next three points including a spike from Kazaryan for the set.
The initial set was tied at 3-3 on a kill from Kazaryan and knotted at 7-7 on a winner from Taishev.
Village Christian dashed ahead 14-9 on a tapper from Vartanian and 16-11 on a winner from Danny Franco which saw Burbank request another time out.
Sophomore setter Sawyer Raub made it 19-11 in favor of the Crusaders and the advantage became 21-13 on a service winner from Kazaryan.
Village Christian moved in front on back-to-back blocks from Alex Franco that made it 22-14 as Burbank needed another stoppage in play and by Danny Franco that made it 23-14. A push from Danny Franco sealed the game.
The third set was deadlocked at 3-3 on a push from Becker but the Crusaders led 9-6 on a tapper from Danny Franco.
It became 12-8 on a winner from Danny Franco and 16-13 on a kill from Kazaryan.
A service ace from Kazaryan increased the cushion to 20-13 and Danny Franco’s stuff made it 22-15 as Burbank asked for another halt to the action.
Danny Franco then added consecutive kills that made it 24-16 and 25-16 for the set.
