Burbank, Burroughs combine to land nine players on all-league volleyball list

The Burroughs High and Burbank girls’ volleyball teams stayed among the Pacific League’s top teams for the entire 2013 season.

The Indians battled Arcadia for the league championship deep into the season, while the Bulldogs were among the top three squads throughout the campaign. Fittingly, the two local squads ended up tied for second in league behind the champion Apaches.

With their fine efforts, Burroughs and Burbank combined to have nine players earn All-Pacific League accolades.

Leading the list was a group of three that earned first-team honors. Joining Burbank junior middle Allison Tiegs was Burroughs senior middle Caitlin Cottrell and senior libero Dani Gonzalez.

“I think our two first-teams really deserved to be there,” Burroughs Coach Edwin Real said. “They were main contributors throughout the season and we looked to them to help us in a lot of matches. They were not only main players for us this year, but last year as well.”

Cottrell, who earned All-CIF Southern Section honors in 2012, was the driving offensive force on a team that went 18-10 and 11-3 in league. Cottrell averaged 13 kills a match and her high was 25 against Glendale. Gonzalez, who is headed to California Lutheran University, averaged 16 digs a match.

Tiegs was also a solid contributor for the Bulldogs (16-7, 11-3), who were able to knock off Arcadia in the teams’ second league meeting. Along with 222 kills and 35 digs, Tiegs also had 45 blocks.

“I think Allison was the type of player that other teams had to worry about,” Burbank Coach Sarah Brown said. “She was either getting the job done herself or she was taking the attention of other teams and giving some of our other players the opportunity to do what they needed to do. She was a player you had to worry about, and it you didn’t you usually paid the price.”

Earning second-team honors was junior outside hitter/opposite Rose Cowart, junior back row Lily Winn and junior setter Sara Treadway of Burbank, along with senior setter/opposite Katie Rutecki of Burroughs.

Cowart had 178 kills to go along with 213 digs and 57 aces, Winn contributed 317 digs and 37 aces, Treadway had 58 kills, 146 digs, 599 assists and 22 aces and Rutecki averaged 11 assists and eight kills a match.

Earning honorable-mention honors for the Bulldogs was junior outside hitter Denise Daniel (144 kills, 95 digs and 32 aces), along with sophomore middle Danielle Ryan for the Indians.