Burroughs boys’ volleyball quickly advances to championship match

BURBANK — Putting competition in front of other school functions has become a way of life for the Burroughs High boys’ volleyball team and Thursday afternoon was no exception.

The second-seeded Indians have learned to adapt along the way and showed off that talent by defeating visiting No. 3 Sanger, 25-15, 25-19, 25-16 in the semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional Division II playoffs.

The match started a little less than two hours before the school’s 7 p.m. graduation. So, naturally, Burroughs finished off the victory in 65 minutes.

“We wanted to get out of here quick, especially after going to five sets on Tuesday,” said Burroughs setter Ryan Van Loo, one of five seniors watching both the scoreboard and clock. “Now we’re looking forward to the challenge of Saturday and seeing Oak Park one more time.”

The victory catapults Pacific League champion Burroughs (30-6) into the school’s first-ever SoCal Regional Championship contest. The furthest Burroughs had previously advanced was to the semifinals in 2011.

Burroughs will face a familiar opponent in Saturday’s Division II Championship match versus top-seeded Oak Park (36-4-1) at 3 p.m. at Huntington Beach Edison High.

Oak Park punched its ticket by topping No. 4 La Jolla, 3-0, on Wednesday.

The SoCal title contest is a rematch of the previous Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Division II championship showdown at Cerritos College, one that Oak Park won, 25-20, 18-25, 25-16, 24-26, 15-8.

“I think redemption against Oak Park was the big motivation for us,” said Burroughs senior outside hitter Andrew D’Almada, who led his squad with 16 kills.

Thursday’s effort came in direct contrast to a two-hour-and-five-minute sluggish 3-2 victory for Burroughs over No. 7 Chatsworth in Tuesday’s first round that Indians Coach Joel Brinton said was due to his team being drained.

“I really think that today highlighted the fact that the guys were still a little bummed out on Tuesday about what had happened at CIF,” Brinton said. “They obviously got over the Chatsworth match and they had a great practice.”

As for the hustle and bustle of trying to ramp up a playoff match before the pomp and circumstance of a graduation, Brinton said his Indians were uniquely experienced for the challenge.

“The volleyball guys have sacrificed a lot,” Brinton said. “They had to play on the day of their prom, they had to miss grad day and play on the day of graduation and there’s been zero complaining about it. It’s a really good group of kids.”

As for Thursday’s match, the Indians had few issues with Sanger (31-10), the CIF Central Section Division I champion that advanced by defeating No. 6 Los Angeles Cathedral, 3-0, on Tuesday.

Perhaps the most competitive set was the second, as Sanger fell behind, 18-10, and, 24-16, before making a last gasp 3-0 run that culminated on a block from Travis Leutmixay, who led his team with eight kills and two blocks.

The Apaches killed their own comeback, however, on a game-clinching service error that secured the Indians’ 25-19 victory.

In the third set, Sanger was within 13-10 before an 8-2 spurt put the game out of reach. Burroughs senior Cameron Capili, who added 10 kills and three blocks, closed out the win with a kill.

As for the first set, Burroughs also ran off a similar 9-2 run to take a 23-12 lead on a combo block from Capili and Bailey Carter (eight kills) before rolling to a 25-15 win.

Van Loo finished with 34 assists, while Cole Kaitz added three blocks and Skylar Bercini contributed 13 digs.