Burbank Girls Volleyball Can’t Keep Up With Arcadia

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(Photo by © Ross A Benson)
By Rick Assad

 

In the three-game sweep suffered by the Burbank High girls’ volleyball team at the hands of visiting Arcadia on Tuesday, the Bulldogs dug significant holes in each game.

As a result, the Apaches came away with a 25-9, 25-16, 25-16 Pacific League victory.

“The first set we didn’t really show up,” Burbank coach Karl Rojo said. “In the second set we made some changes, but we couldn’t keep up. In the third set we looked better but we couldn’t produced our own points.”

After losing the first two games, Burbank (9-3-1 and 3-1 in league) settled down in the third and led 4-1 on junior outside hitter Melissa Daniel’s kill.

(Photo by © Ross A Benson)
Senior outside hitter Hailey Heath goes up for a winner against Arcadia. (Photo by © Ross A Benson)

The Apaches evened it at 4-4 on a winner from senior outside hitter Rachel Reedy, who had a match-best 10 kills.

In short order, Arcadia (6-0 and 4-0 in league) jumped ahead 12-5 on Reedy’s service ace.

Arcadia’s lead swelled to 15-8 on a tapper from senior setter Cammie Dopke.

Burbank came within 16-11 on freshman setter Ashley Eskander’s ace, but the Apaches seized control and pulled ahead 19-11.

From this point, Arcadia outscored the Bulldogs 6-5 and captured the match on Dopke’s block.

The initial game saw the Apaches race off to a 7-3 advantage on a winner from junior outside hitter Haley Kennedy.

(Photo by © Ross A Benson)
Burbank senior middle blocker Nicole Winters shows off her leaping ability. (Photo by © Ross A Benson)

Reedy’s stuff made it 10-5, but Daniel’s smash drew the stubborn Bulldogs to within 13-8.

But Arcadia’s lead expanded to 16-8 on Reedy’s rocket.

“I’m always looking for consistency,” Arcadia coach Charles Freberg said. “We were consistent today. That’s a key for us to be successful.”

Freberg addressed the offense. “We have three hitters that we can go to,” he said. “That’s the minimum you need.”

Arcadia proceeded to outscore the Bulldogs 9-1 with Dopke’s block making it 24-9 and junior outside hitter Ashley McDonald closing it out with a kill.

The same pattern followed in the middle game as Arcadia leaped out to a 3-1 cushion on a winner from Reedy.

It became 11-5 on Kennedy’s kill, but senior outside hitter Hailey Heath’s blast trimmed the advantage to 11-7. Heath’s kill then shaved the gap to 13-8.

(Photo by © Ross A Benson)
Senior setter Hannah Porter assists a teammate versus the Apaches. (Photo by © Ross A Benson)

“Arcadia’s always good and I think that may have intimidated us,” Heath said. “We didn’t come out hard and ready. We just have to worry about the point at hand and not worry about the score.”

Heath added: “It was like a roller coaster. Up and down. But I think the next time we face them we’re going to be better.”

Arcadia went on a 3-0 spurt with Reedy getting a kill to make it 16-8. In time the lead would swell to 22-11 on McDonald’s service ace.

The Bulldogs closed within 23-14 on Heath’s winner, but the Apaches divided the next two points for the game.

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