Burroughs, Providence at home, Burbank on road for CIF volleyball openers
With Burroughs High and Providence winning championships in their respective leagues, it was a given they would both garner home matches for the first round of the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
The big question was with a second-place finish in the Pacific League, would Burbank be rewarded with an opening home contest?
That question was answered Friday when the pairings for all divisions were released by the CIF Southern Section office.
Indeed, the Indians and Pioneers will in their home gyms for first-round contests Tuesday. As for the Bulldogs, they will be relegated to the road for their opener.
The Indians will host Anaheim Canyon in a Division II contest and the Pioneers will welcome Pacific Hills in a Division V matchup. Burbank travels to Foothill for its opener on Tuesday. All matches are originally scheduled for 7 p.m. starts.
“I was hoping that maybe we could sneak in and get a home match after placing second,” Burbank Coach Patrick McMenamin said. “But there are some very good teams in Division II that deserve home games.”
Burbank (16-5, 9-3) continued its upswing as a program, earning the runner-up spot in league behind Burroughs. It is the best league finish for the Bulldogs ever in the Pacific League.
Foothill (15-4) placed second in the Century League. If the Bulldogs win, they will play Pioneer League champion El Segundo, the No. 3 seed, or a wild-card entry in the second round Thursday.
Burroughs (20-7, 12-0 in league), which was ranked No. 8 in the last CIF Southern Section Division II poll, is coming off a season in which it captured its fifth straight Pacific League crown, giving up just one game in 12 matches.
The Indians will take on a Canyon (13-14) squad that placed fourth in the Century League. If Burroughs is successful in its opener, it will play a Thursday second-round contest against Long Beach Poly (Moore League champion) or Corona Santiago (No. 3 in Big VIII League).
Providence (15-10, 10-0) enjoyed a second straight season of success, securing the Liberty League title for the second consecutive year. It was the first back-to-back titles in program history.
The Pioneers will take on a familiar opponent in Pacific Hills (6-14), the No. 3 team from the Costal League.
“We already played Pacific Hills in our tournament early in the year and we beat them,” Providence Coach Josh Eggleston said. “And we had some JV players playing in that game because some of our players were away with choir. So, we like our chances against them.”
A win would put the Pioneers into a second-round match Thursday against fourth-seeded Arrowhead Christian (Arrowhead League champion) or Capistrano Valley Christian (No. 3 from the San Joaquin League).