By Rick Assad
After losing by nine points in the first set, the Burroughs High girls’ volleyball team came out in the second game and bolted to an early 5-0 advantage.
This lead wasn’t big enough as the Bears eventually lost by three points and when they failed to secure the third set to host Crescenta Valley in a Pacific League match on Tuesday, the sweep was in order as the Falcons claimed a 25-16, 25-22, 25-16 triumph and remain undefeated and in first place in the league.
That second set was the one that swung the match in favor of the Falcons, because had they lost, a fourth set would have been necessary, and anything can happen and the same would follow in the fifth which requires just 15 points to appoint a winner.
“We make a lot of errors. We should be executing all the time but, like when we need to, we don’t,” Burroughs coach Edwin Real explained. “We’ll go back and make a good play and then we serve to the wrong player.”
Real went on: “We need to be more consistent. It’s a work in progress,” he said. “After the first 20 points we started blocking better but then they started tipping a little bit.”
The middle game began with Burroughs junior middle blocker Sadie Lomet’s kill.
That was followed by a stuff from senior opposite hitter Kara Aldana-Pere.
Senior outside hitter Jessica Wareebor’s two service aces made it 3-0 and 4-0 and Aldana-Pere’s winner extended the lead to 5-0.
The Falcons (18-5 and 4-0 in league) then evened it at 6-6 on a kill from senior outside hitter Nyra Tatoulian.
The Bears (3-8 and 2-2 in league) led 8-7 on a kill from junior outside hitter Tawnie Ohrt and zoomed ahead 10-8 on a block from senior opposite hitter Destiny Helligar.
Crescenta Valley, which has now won seven straight matches, went on a 6-2 spurt and led 14-12 on senior middle blocker Jana Coffeen’s bullet and caused the Bears to request a time out.
The cushion became 17-13 on a service winner from senior setter Hyacinth Ang.
Coffeen’s kill made it 19-15, but the Bears came within 19-17 on an ace from senior outside hitter Jessica Real.
When the Falcons took a 22-19 lead on an ace from senior defensive specialist Natalie Andrias, the Bears called for time.
Burroughs did get within 22-21 on a winner from Ohrt, but Crescenta Valley led 23-21 on a push from sophomore middle blocker Isabel Haytayan.
It became 24-21 on a tapper from Tatoulian and Tatoulian’s kill made it 25-22.
The last set began with six ties before the Falcons moved ahead 10-6 on an ace from senior defensive specialist Autumn Parrott.
Crescenta Valley seized control 13-8 on a push from Coffeen which prompted the Bears to ask for a stoppage in time.
Burroughs pulled within 15-11 on a kill from senior defensive specialist Elizabeth Johnson.
However, the Falcons scored four of the next five points and led 19-12 on a kill from Haytayan.
Several hitting errors by the Bears made it 21-14 in favor of the Falcons.
When Ang delivered a winner, it became 24-16, which once again prompted the visitors to ask for time.
A service ace from sophomore libero Sofia Shin gave the Falcons the set and the match.
The initial frame began with the Bears dashing ahead 5-2 on a push from Johnson.
Burroughs led 7-6 on a tapper by Wareebor. Crescenta Valley then claimed five of the next six points and pulled ahead 11-8 on an ace from Shin.
The Falcons’ advantage ballooned to 14-10 on a push from Tatoulian as the Bears asked for another stoppage in time.
In short order, the lead swelled to 17-12 on a kill from senior setter Aleen Der Barsegian.
The Bears would not get closer than six points as the Falcons moved in front 19-12 on a kill from Haytayan, and then led 22-15 on Tatoulian’s winner.
The second game was secured on a kill from Tatoluian.
