By Rick Assad
Khloe Pavia played three seasons of varsity volleyball for Burroughs High and was a key figure on the floor.
“I think I brought a lot of positive energy to the team as well as being someone my teammates could come to,” said Pavia, a senior who will be attending UC Santa Cruz and will also play on the women’s volleyball team. “Before a match I would try to get locked in by listening to music or just mentally preparing for the match.”
Pavia, who is a middle blocker, came to the sport early and has enjoyed it more than any other sport she attempted.
“I played many different sports growing up like basketball, softball and tennis but I never really loved to play any of them,” she stated. “In sixth grade, my parents signed me up for a parks and recreation team. That’s when I started to really like the sport.”
Pavia, who plans on majoring in political science, added: “I stopped playing competitively in seventh and eighth grade due to Covid-19,” she said. “The summer before ninth grade I decided to try out for the Burroughs team, and I made it on the junior varsity team.”
What Pavia, who was named Most Valuable Player this season and was tabbed All-Pacific League first team in 2024 and second team in 2023, likes about volleyball is that there’s always a great deal of action.
“I love how fast paced the game is. It really keeps the game interesting for the players and the audience,” she said. “It is also a game that requires many different skills, and I love working to try to master them.”
Burroughs has a long history of fielding strong volleyball teams and this season was no exception.
The Bears went 25-9 overall and 13-1 for first place in the league and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division III second-round of the playoffs after beating visiting Claremont in straight sets and falling to host Corona Del Mar in five games.
In Burroughs’ match immediately before the playoffs, the Bears took on visiting Providence and claimed a four-set victory. In that triumph, Pavia had an incredible 23 kills.
Edwin Real is Burroughs longtime head coach and appreciates what Pavia brought to the table.
“Khloe has helped raise the level of play at Burroughs. Not only with her athleticism but her hard work in practice,” he said. “She definitely leads by example. She has also helped bring back some Burroughs traditions that have faded since COVID-19.”
Pavia could be depended upon and very often delivered the goods.
“My job on the court this year was to be dependable,” she stated. “Someone my teammates could depend on during a game and someone they could depend on during practices.”
Pavia’s goals weren’t too many, but they included winning the league title and advancing in the playoffs.
“Our two team goals this year were to be a good teammate and win the league,” she stated. “Both of these goals were met.”
When Burroughs faced other better league foes, Pavia was always pumped.
“Some of my favorite matches were when we played Arcadia away because in my years in the program, we had never beat them, so it was very exciting to do that in my senior year,” she admitted and finished with 23 kills versus the Apaches. “I also loved playing against Crescenta Valley for the second time. Our entire team played very well, and we all were very competitive because we wanted to win the league.”
Sometimes winning and losing can come with a price and they stand on opposite sides of the spectrum.
“Dealing with defeat was very difficult for me this season. Especially after we lost against Crescenta Valley,” Pavia acknowledged. “I was very frustrated. To get out of the funk, I really leaned on my teammates and worked even harder in practice in the following weeks.”
Having played volleyball for some time, Pavia knows the game and how to get the most out of it and herself.
“The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is just that it is never that serious,” she explained. “Volleyball is something I do for fun so it’s important to not put that much weight on it.”
Pavia’s four years of high school volleyball and three years on the varsity have given her strength, perspective and a sense of accomplishments.
“I had the best senior season I could ask for,” she noted.” I had the most amazing team and I’m grateful I got to spend the season with my best friends.”
Real is grateful for Pavia’s impact on the program and feels confident that she will succeed.
“As a person, she is well liked by all of her teammates and the coaching staff,” he said. “She takes feedback well and immediately implements tips or advice. She’s determined to get better with each contact.”
