On Tuesday, April 8, varsity boys’ volleyball (15-4 overall, 4-1 Peninsula Athletic League Bay), coming off of a three-match win streak, extended their string of victories in dominant fashion (25-17, 25-14, 22-25, 25-14) against Archbishop Riordan.
The Panthers, expecting to win the match handily, frequently made rotations to cycle in more players onto the court than usual. However, Burlingame was tested as Riordan brought the contest to four sets.
“I would have liked to see us blow out [Riordan] in three sets,” assistant coach Eric Chiang said. “But we got a chance to put a lot of players in that we don’t normally get to play.”
Burlingame got off to a quick start, with comfortable wins in the first two sets. Several kills from senior outside hitter Lucas Stuart, junior outside hitter Fabian Falconett, and sophomore outside hitter Owen Carroll helped the Panthers extend their advantage.
“[Stuart] was working with what he had, adjusting with the sets, and [Carroll] was doing really well on the outside,” Falconett said.
In the third set, the Crusaders regained control, penetrating Burlingame’s defense and capitalizing on numerous missed serves from the Panthers.
“It felt like our energy wasn’t there where it should be, and then our defense, just having the energy to go after the ball,” Chiang said.
After losing the third set, Falconett emphasized the importance of the team’s communication on the court during and in between plays.
“I think we were quiet at times — it really just depends on how much energy we were putting in,” Falconett said. “It’s really helpful when everyone’s talking, but sometimes we will get a little quiet, which is something I could definitely work on.”
However, the Panthers bounced back in the fourth set with another convincing win, getting several key assists from junior setter Garret Wang.
“We definitely cleaned it up [in the fourth set],” Falconett said. “We had pretty good passing in the fourth set, and I think that was going to get back, it’s all about momentum.”
With a demanding schedule on the horizon, the Panthers are taking it one game at a time, which Chiang believes will help maximize the team’s performance.
“For us, it’s all mental right now. We’re only playing to about 65 to 70 percent of our capabilities right now, so we really need to treat every match as a competitive match,” Chiang said.
While Burlingame currently sits second in the league standings, they aren’t satisfied with their positioning for the playoffs. They hope to secure a first-place finish this season by dethroning current league leaders Menlo-Atherton High School.
“When we step on the court, we know that we’re the better team,” assistant coach David Newman said. “We are a first-place potential team, and we expect to finish in first place.”
