By Rick Assad
Winning a Pacific League volleyball match is never easy, let alone a rivalry match, but the visiting Burroughs High girls’ volleyball team made relatively easy and quick work of Burbank on Tuesday night as several players were on the floor for the action and many had a hand in the victory.
The Bears buzzed through the Bulldogs 25-5, 25-13, 25-16 and were never really challenged.
Burroughs served well during the slightly longer than one hour fray while the setters did their job and handed the hitters many opportunities to score points.
Longtime Burroughs coach Edwin Real said serving was merely one key difference.
“Serving was really good,” he said of the three-game sweep. “We took a lot of good swings.”
In the third game, Burbank, which never gave up and played hard, pulled ahead 3-0 on an ace from senior Allie Foenander.
The Bulldogs (8-24-3 and 1-6 in league) moved in front 8-6 on sophomore Nareh Pogosyan’s winner.
The Bears (12-10 and 4-3 in league) stormed back and tied it at 11-11 on a kill from junior outside hitter Sienna Lay.
Burroughs then forged ahead 15-13 on a co-block from senior opposite hitter and captain Lily McTeer and junior middle blocker Khloe Pavia.
Burroughs’ advantage swelled to 18-14 on an ace from sophomore opposite hitter Nasiyah Chapman and a tapper from senior middle blocker Kiana Hildebrandt made it 21-15.
“I loved seeing my team working together and having fun,” said Hildebrandt, who is one of three captains. “I saw some great teamwork and support today from the team. It is always a good feeling when the team is in good spirits and having fun [along with winning].”
An ace from senior opposite hitter/defensive specialist and captain Narrissa Wareebor made it 23-15 and when Burbank senior Lorin Azizian hit the net, the match was secured.
The first game saw the Bears race to a 5-1 lead on an ace from junior setter Savana Lay and the margin became 9-2 on Pavia’s slam.
Pavia’s hammer made it 10-3 and Burroughs marched ahead 12-5 on a winner from freshman outside hitter Amelia Walsh.
The run continued as the Bears scored the next thirteen points to capture the set.
Wareebor had three service aces that made it 13-5, 15-5 and 18-5 while Walsh added two more spikes that saw Burroughs power ahead 14-5 and 21-5.
An ace from Chapman increased the margin to 24-5 and when Burbank junior Grace O’Connor grazed the net, the Bears led one set to none.
It was more of the same for the Bears in the second game as they sprinted to an 11-1 lead.
When sophomore outside hitter Zoe Davis tossed in a kill the Bears took command 3-1 and when Pavia added a spike, Burroughs’ lead grew to 5-1.
A co-stuff from freshman middle blocker Alex Hammeke and senior Naomie Zavala made it 9-1. A blast from Davis saw the Bears take command 12-2.
Zavala’s ace made it 15-7 and Hildebrandt’s tapper extended the advantage to 17-7.
Burroughs took control 20-10 on a winner from Hildebrandt and Sienna Lay’s dagger witnessed the Bears pull ahead 21-10.
Two hitting errors by the Bulldogs made it 23-13 when senior Bee Barona’s serve settled out of bounds and it became 24-13 on O’Connor’s hit that also sailed off the court.
The Bears grabbed the middle set on another hitting error as Barona hit out of bounds.
