Libero

BURBANK HIGH — With Pacific League leadership on the line, the visiting Burroughs High girls' volleyball team staked a claim for sole ownership of first place at the midway point of the season by defeating archrival Burbank, 25-19, 26-28, 27-25, 25-14, on Thursday afternoon. The victory keeps Burroughs atop the league standings with an 11-3 overall record and a 7-0 mark in league. Burroughs remains a game ahead of reigning league champ Arcadia (10-5, 7-1) and two games up on Burbank (9-3-1, 5-2)

RIO MESA — Challenged at times, pushed at others, the Burroughs High boys' volleyball team received the accustomed rude welcome any postseason visitor should expect Saturday evening. Taking the best punches of Pacific View League runner-up Rio Mesa, however, the Indians doled out a habitual answer in a 28-26, 25-19, 29-27 victory in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs. "We didn't play as well as we should of and had to fight harder than the guys expected," Burroughs Coach Joel Brinton said.

For the past three years, Burroughs High has been the premier boys' volleyball program in the city. The Indians have won or shared the last three Pacific League championships. In addition, the team advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division III semifinals in 2012 and the championship contest in 2011. With a solid group of returners this season, don't look for the Indians to shoot for anything less than league and CIF crowns. “The older guys who have been around are definitely into keeping the tradition going,” Burroughs Coach Joel Brinton said.

BURBANK — In recent years, Providence and Bellarmine- Jefferson highs have established themselves as winning and successful boys’ volleyball programs. Last season, the Guards made a historic run in the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs, advancing to the quarterfinals. Two years ago, the Pioneers put together a fine campaign, losing in the Division V semifinals. Burroughs and Burbank might look to the Providence and Bell-Jeff programs as inspiration.

Listening to Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls’ volleyball Coach Miguel Segura talk, one might be convinced that he actually thought the Guards had the talent to reach a CIF Southern Section championship match this season. But with just three returning players from last season on a team that started just two seniors, and the fact that Bell-Jeff had never advanced past the quarterfinals, the odds on that actually happening were overwhelming. Many around the Bell-Jeff program likely felt like sophomore opposite hitter Breanna Pedron about the team’s chances of getting to the championship contest.

Courtney McCutchan and the La Cañada High girls’ volleyball team had high hopes and big dreams for 2008 — and those dreams were realized. The Spartans won their first CIF Southern Section Division II-A championship in 32 years. The Spartans were a perfect 10-0 in Rio Hondo League play, never even dropping a game. They ended up losing to Redlands East Valley in the second round of state competition, snapping a seven-match winning streak. A loss sure, but it did little to dampen the historic season.

BURBANK — It wasn’t exactly an overwhelmingly successful season for the area boys’ volleyball teams. With Burbank High not fielding a team this year, that left Burroughs, Bellarmine-Jefferson and Providence to carry the torch for the local squads. Although all the teams played well at times during the campaign, and all made the postseason, no squad was able to finish higher than third in their respective league. While Bell-Jeff placed third in the Santa Fe League, Providence was the No. 3 team from the Liberty League and Burroughs was fourth in the Pacific League.

Things needed to be pieced together after the Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball team lost several top-notch players to graduation last season. Forced to mix and match by assigning new roles to the returning athletes, veteran Flintridge Prep Coach Sean Beattie made a bold move by moving Gavin Thomson from middle blocker to outside hitter in an attempt to provide more offense after standout Dylan Walker moved on to college. “I saw that he had put the work in [before the season began]

EDITOR'S NOTE : This is the fourth and final installment in a series looking back on the sports accomplishments of the four local high schools during the 2006-07 school year. This installment is Providence: There was little Heather Hansen could do wrong during the 2006-07 school year. There are those who say Hansen's best sport is girls' soccer, something she plays at the club level but did not compete in during her tenure at Providence. However, the outstanding athlete did compete in girls' basketball and volleyball during her senior season.

PASADENA — With sweat dripping from his face, Providence High girls' volleyball Coach James Jimenez melted into a courtside seat, dipping his head down and burying his face in his hands. Jimenez had just lived through the agony and ecstasy of every point of his Pioneers' CIF Southern Division IVAA quarterfinal playoff match with host Pasadena Poly, and he was exhausted. After a few moments of recovery, the coach raised his head and allowed himself a smile — a victory smile.