The biggest question many wondered Tuesday night was how the Burroughs High boys’ volleyball team would bounce back from its first league loss since 2013, as the Indians fell on the road last week at Arcadia.

Although they weren’t consistent throughout, the Indians did enough to earn a Pacific League title for a tenth straight season with a 25-12, 25-22, 25-13 win over visiting Burbank High.
“All teams face adversity in season. Teams aren’t judged by their wins but how they come back from their losses,” said Burroughs 6-foot-4 sophomore Kade McGovern, who had a match-high 16 kills. “I think we did a good job of that tonight.”
Burroughs (19-12 overall, 11-1 in league), came out strong in the first game.
Burbank tied the Indians for just one point, as Luca Bily served an ace to make it 4-4.
But the Indians fought right back and won the first game with relative ease.
“Establishing the middle at the start was a huge thing for us. That’s what we talked about that we wanted to do,” Burroughs Coach Joel Brinton said. “That allowed Connor (Burroughs) and Kade to hit well the rest of the game. Our attacking was vastly improved from where it was against Arcadia.”
Burbank (15-11, 7-5) put forth a fine effort in the second game. The Bulldogs led 13-10 following a kill from Dylan Viyar. Burbank also led 16-13, before Burroughs fought back to get on level terms.
McGovern served up an ace to make it 17-17.
Troy Outwater had a kill to give Burroughs a 21-20 lead and helped make it 22-20 with a block.
Jagger Green finished off the game with a kill.
“We’re trying to build that culture of a never gives up mentality, that fighting mentality,” Burbank coach Karl Rojo said. “That’s what I want these kids to act like when they’re playing on the floor. We had it in the second and we kind of lost it with our unforced errors and hitting mistakes in the third. You have to give it to Burroughs. They did serve tough and hit pretty well.”
Burbank took a 4-3 lead in the third game on an ace from Chase Marcy.
But McGovern had kills on the next two points to help push the Indians back in front for good.
“We talked about it as a group. That streak doesn’t matter. None of them were here for that,” Brinton said. “The streak that mattered was getting a league championship this year and keeping that streak. We learned a lot from it and I think we made some steps in the right direction today.”
Burroughs received nine kills from Connor Burroughs. Carter Cottrell had 27 assists, Sam Tipton had 12 digs and Green had seven kills.
Bily led the Bulldogs with five kills. Viyar added three kills for Burbank. Jason Kwon had eight assists.