Burbank volleyball tops Crescenta Valley in five-game battle
LA CRESCENTA — While the Burroughs High boys’ volleyball team has maintained its dominance in the Pacific League, Crescenta Valley and Burbank have taken turns holding down the runner-up spot.
The four previous seasons, the Falcons and Bulldogs have traded second-place finishes and engaged in some spirited battles.
Add Thursday’s matchup between the squads to another in a line of impressive contests.
Although host Crescenta Valley battled back to force a winner-take-all fifth game, Burbank was able to take advantage of Falcons errors in the final set to earn a 21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 15-11 victory.
The win keeps the Bulldogs (4-2, 3-0 in league), who placed second in 2016 and 2014, unbeaten in league. The Falcons (8-2, 1-1) — runners-up in 2017 and 2015 — saw their string of four straight wins snapped.
“We were expecting a good opponent in CV and they were,” said Burbank senior Rory Rickey, who led the Bulldogs with 15 kills. “We know they are always going to be a good team and that it would be a challenge for us.
“I think what helped us out today is that we were able to capitalize on their mistakes.”
Burbank received 13 kills from junior Ryan Rickey, nine each from senior Jonathan Ragheb and junior Luca Bily and 51 assists from senor Brian Valmonte.
The Falcons received a big effort from senior Garo Barsemian, who finished with 22 kills. Senior Chad Wilson added 12 kills.
The mistakes were never as detrimental to the Falcons than in the fifth game, when seven of Burbank’s points came on errors. Burbank raced out to a 4-1 lead in the fifth following a Falcons attack attempt that hit the antenna. The Bulldogs increased their advantage to 9-3 after a Crescenta Valley kill attempt went wide. The Falcons chipped away at the lead and trailed by three, 14-11, but a service error sealed the game and match for Burbank.
“They had some guys who played really well and we didn’t make the plays that we have to make,” Crescenta Valley coach John Nelson said. “We just didn’t play smart when we needed to and we didn’t make the adjustments when we needed to.
“We are really young; we have two sophomores and a junior out there. We just don’t make adjustments quick enough and today that’s probably the best volleyball they’ve played against this season.”
Crescenta Valley opened the match by taking an early lead in the first game, 5-4, and never relinquished the advantage.
In the second game, the Bulldogs led early, 10-4, before the Falcons inched their way back and tied the stanza at 14 on a Burbank error into the net. But the Bulldogs surged back into the lead, 15-14, and closed out things down the stretch.
“I think coach Nelson runs a great program and they have a great group of guys with some talent, so we knew that we were in for a competitive match today,” said Burbank coach Karl Rojo, whose team has been in three five-set matches this season. “We played a little off their mistakes, but I think we also forced them into some tough situations. I think that we work best when we have our backs against the wall.”
In the third game, the Bulldogs led from the outset, took an early lead, 9-5, and Crescenta Valley could only get as close as two points the rest of the way.
Facing elimination, the Falcons pushed back in the fourth game. Crescenta Valley went in front to stay, 13-12, and Burbank could never erase the deficit.
Twitter: @jefftsports
