Burroughs sweeps champs

BURROUGHS HIGH — With the Burroughs High girls’ volleyball team down by three points and facing game-point in the opening game against Pacific League foe Arcadia, it appeared as if the Indians were destined for an early deficit.

But Burroughs picked itself up, battled back and turned things around. The Indians scored five straight points to win the game and put the momentum of the match square on their side of the court.

Burroughs then rode that momentum the next two games, staving off Arcadia challenges and riding a wave that would see the Indians earn an unlikely sweep against the visiting Apaches, 26-24, 25-16, 25-23.

“Coming back in that first game was big, real big,” Burroughs Coach Edwin Real said. “To be down to game-point and come back to win the game was a big boost. It gave us some life.”

Arcadia (8-2, 3-1 in league), the two-time defending league champion, came into the contest with just one loss and ranked No. 8 in CIF Southern Section Division II-A. Burroughs (8-3, 4-0) is ranked ninth in the division.

Burroughs, which won a league title in 2008, finished second behind the Apaches last season.

The Indians received a fine performance from outside hitter Megan Stephenson. The senior had 17 kills to go along with seven digs. Teammate Tessa Dudley added nine kills, Keana Figueroa had 18 assists, Catarina Emerson had 14 assists and Laura Howard had six assists.

In the first game, the Indians were facing elimination at 24-21 following a kill by Arcadia’s Brittney Lee. But an Apaches error was followed by an ace by Howard. With Howard still serving, the ball clipped the top of the net and fell to the floor on the Arcadia side.

With the scored tied at 24, Arcadia couldn’t return Howard’s serve yet again. The game ended with the Apaches committing a net violation.

The Indians played well in the second game, winning easily.

Burroughs again had to battle in the third game, coming back to tie the score at 23. Burroughs then got a point on a ball that looked wide but was ruled to be tipped by an Arcadia player. Stephenson ended the game, and the match, with a booming kill.

“We know now that we’ve beaten the league champ that we just can’ take it easy,” Real said. “We have to keep playing hard.”