Reporting from La Crescenta — It took a rally, but the area’s current longest league winning streak stayed intact.
The visiting Burroughs High boys’ volleyball team was challenged again by Crescenta Valley, but once again the Indians persevered via a 25-16, 23-25, 25-16, 25-23 victory Tuesday evening.
With the win, Burroughs (12-8, 8-0 in Pacific League) captured its 51st straight league triumph and a share of an eighth consecutive league crown. Burroughs can clinch the title outright Thursday with a win at Hoover.
Both league streaks left Indians Coach Joel Brinton at a loss of words.
“I don’t know [what to say], I don’t know if I have the perspective,” Brinton said. “I’m just proud of this group right now. This group, like my other groups, has put in the work since August. The streaks, I have no idea, but just winning this is really, really special.”
Join the conversation on Facebook »
Burroughs outside hitter Conner Ludlum led all players with 20 kills, while Jarrett Malone added 15 kills, Cole Kaitz contributed 12 kills and three blocks, Diego Rosal chipped in 11 kills, setter Levi Benitez tallied 56 assists and libero Skyler Bercini finished with 16 digs.
Jonathan Lee finished with 11 kills for Crescenta Valley (17-4-2, 6-2), while Ben Allen added 10 kills, Anders Johnson contributed nine kills and three blocks and setter Gene Kim finished with 35 assists.
1/18
Burroughs’ Conner Ludlum rises for a block against Crescenta Valley’s Spencer Lunt in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
2/18
Crescenta Valley’s Eugene Shin sets the ball for a kill against Burroughs’ in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
3/18
Crescenta Valley’s Brett Dunkin hits a kill against Burroughs’ Andrew Abrahamian in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
4/18
Crescenta Valley’s Ben Allen battles against the blocking defense of Burroughs’ Jarrett Malone in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
5/18
Crescenta Valley’s Spencer Lunt gets off a hit with Burroughs’ Jarrett Malone and Diego Rosal rising for a block attempt in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
6/18
Crescenta Valley’s head coach John Nelson during a game against Burroughs in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
7/18
Burroughs’ Joel Brinton during a game against Crescenta Valley in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
8/18
Burroughs’ Jarrett Malone hits a kill against Crescenta Valley’s Spencer Lunt in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
9/18
Burroughs’ Jarrett Malone hits a kill against Crescenta Valley’s Spencer Lunt in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
10/18
Burroughs’ Diego Rosal hits a kill against Crescenta Valley in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
11/18
Burroughs’ Jarrett Malone rises to block Crescenta Valley’s Spencer Lunt in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
12/18
in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
13/18
Crescenta Valley’s Jonathon Lee hits a kill against Burroughs in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
14/18
Crescenta Valley’s Gene Kim sets the ball for a kill against Burroughs in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
15/18
Crescenta Valley’s Brett Dunkin rises to block a Burroughs kill attempt in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
16/18
Burroughs’ Levi Benitez sets the ball for a kill attempt against Crescenta Valley in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
17/18
Burroughs’ Levi Benitez gets to the ball to hit it into play against Burroughs in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
18/18
Crescenta Valley’s Matthew Gardner dives to keep the ball in play against Burroughs in a Pacific League boys’ volleyball match at Crescenta Valley High School on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
The first time the teams met, Burroughs pulled out a 3-2 victory in Burbank on April 7 that ended in a 15-12 fifth-set win.
Though Crescenta Valley trailed, 2-1, the Falcons seemed poised to force another fifth set after rallying from a five-point deficit to take a 22-21 lead in the fourth game on an Indians’ attacking error.
Brinton called a timeout and his squad responded with three straight points, the last of that spurt coming on a block from Kaitz to give the visitors a 24-22 lead.
Crescenta Valley staved off elimination briefly with a kill from Johnson, only to witness Kaitz connect on the match-winning back-row kill to seal the comeback victory.
“Our coach just told to us we needed to play perfect volleyball,” Kaitz said. “We needed sideouts and we needed to stop making mistakes. Once we started putting balls away, we knew we had it.”
In its two other triumphs, Burroughs was methodical.
The Indians rolled to identical wins of 25-16 in the first and third games with Malone connecting on three kills and an ace in the opening win and Ludlum tallying five kills in the third-set victory.
Those wins did not mirror the look from the Indians in the second set when Crescenta Valley was the aggressor and broke a tie at 8 with a 5-1 spurt to go up, 13-9, on an ace from Brett Dunkin.
Crescenta Valley never trailed the rest of the set, though the Indians made a late charge and tied the game at 23 on a block from William Singleton.
The Falcons responded with a kill from Johnson followed by an Indians’ attacking error that sealed a 25-23 victory.
Momentum from that victory, though, did not carry over for the Falcons.
“The difference was just a matter of getting a break here and there,” Falcons Coach John Nelson said. “We got those breaks in the second set, but not in the others. We’d have shots that would just go wide and we didn’t put it together.”
andrew.campa@latimes.com
Twitter @campadresports
