Trio makes All-CIF list
BURBANK — For the first time, two area boys’ volleyball teams made deep runs in the CIF Southern Section playoffs during the same season.
One of those teams was Burroughs High. The Indians broke numerous records during a campaign in which they won a Pacific League championship, advanced to a CIF final contest and rolled to a victory in the state playoffs.
Providence also had a successful season, placing second in the Liberty League and moving on to the CIF quarterfinals.
In the wake of that success, both the Indians and Pioneers had players honored on respective All-CIF first teams. While Burroughs senior brothers Tyler and Lucas Yanez made the Division III team, Providence’s Kris Galvez earned a nod in Division V.
All three players were driving forces on their teams this past season.
“Kris was part of our combination of outside hitters who really got us to where we were this season,” Providence Coach Josh Eggleston said of Galvez. “That is why we were able to get to the quarterfinal match. He will be very difficult to replace.”
Galvez was a force on the outside for the Pioneers (16-7). He worked well with sophomore outside hitter Phil Harvey to give Providence a formidable 1-2 punch.
Galvez, who earned first-team all-league honors, tallied 165 kills.
“Kris came to our team initially with very little volleyball experience,” Eggleston said. “But he had superior athletic ability. He was able to pick up the game extremely quickly and he worked very hard to become the player that he is.
“About half-way through the season, although he was already playing well, he kind of stepped up his game a little bit and we saw his execution increase and we saw his production increase tremendously. He really hit his stride when we started our playoff run.”
With a large contribution from the Yanez brothers, the Indians (34-5) rolled to a Pacific League title, going undefeated in the process. Burroughs then marched its way through the Division III playoffs, advancing to the championship match against Cerritos Valley Christian at Cypress College, losing, 27-25, 25-27, 25-18, 25-16.
It was the Indians’ first trip to the finals after previously not getting out of the second round of the playoffs.
Burroughs also participated in the Southern California Regional Championships. The Indians showed they belonged in state competition, upsetting Thousand Oaks, 25-22, 25-12, 23-25, 25-23, in the first round.
It was the first time the program had earned a bid to the state playoffs.
Tyler Yanez, a setter and reigning All-Area Player of the Year, collected 837 assists, breaking his own school record of 722 set last year. He had 51 assists in a league match against Claremont. He ended his career with a record 2,079 assists. He also had 37 blocks and 27 aces.
Lucas Yanez, an outside hitter, tallied 195 kills, with a season-high of 20 coming against South Torrance in the semifinals of the playoffs. He finished his career with 660 kills, setting the Burroughs all-time mark. In addition, he had 256 digs (No. 1 all time) and 61 aces (another school record).
For their efforts, the brothers were named co-league players of the year.
“Both Lucas and Tyler were important to the success of our team,” said Burroughs Coach Joel Brinton, who has headed the program since its inception in 2007. “Without Tyler, Lucas doesn’t get the get the sets to get his kills. And without Lucas, Tyler’s sets don’t get put down for kills.”