Boys’ volleyball (19-8 overall, 3-3 Peninsula Athletic League Bay) took down first place Aragon High School in a dramatic fifth set tiebreaker on Wednesday, April 17.
“They played spectacularly, this is the best I’ve ever seen them…[Aragon was] 23-1 and we beat them and now they have a 23-2 win loss,” head coach Lawrence Ngai said.
The Panthers have been incredibly consistent all season, suffering minimal losses and making the most of their strength as a team. The upset victory match was a testament to that strength, as the squad adjusted on the fly, rethinking strategies and making changes in the lineup throughout the game.
“I incorporated the players’ inputs, my inputs and my assistant coach’s inputs…and we tried it and it worked,” Ngai said.
The team started the game with momentum, winning the first set, and catching another lead in the second set, but powerful serves by the Dons helped Aragon tie the score 1-1.
Coming into the third set, the Panthers were met with another challenge — the student section for Aragon, crowded and rowdy in honor of the Dons’ senior night, roared after every point.
Although the cheers grew more frequent as the Dons took the lead, the squad was not deterred. Instead, the group used the cheers as inspiration to build up their own team morale.
“We were kind of motivated more to kind of get back in there and be really energetic,” junior Lucas Stuart said.
According to sophomore Fabian Falconett, the key to Burlingame’s success was mental fortitude — a skill that kept them focused throughout the game.
“I think what we did was we just like, when we made a mistake, it was okay, we just gotta get the next one…just making sure we have a positive attitude, and like not blaming other people just like working on yourself. And yeah, we played really well as a team,” Falconett said.
The Panthers took the third set, fending off the Dons with defensive plays, deep digs and dives, while also relying on Falconett’s attacks to secure the lead.
“I feel like I did pretty well today…especially compared to the last time we played [Aragon],” Falconett said.
But Aragon responded, winning the fourth set to tie up the score once again. Big kills by the Dons paired with lethal serves applied enough pressure to fend off Burlingame.
Tied at 2-2, the matchup came down to the fifth-set tiebreaker. Both teams were at their peak performance, exchanging the lead, but the Panthers managed to use their defense and sound in-game strategies to secure the win by just two points.
The victory gives Burlingame newfound momentum heading into the final league games, and has raised the team’s hopes for a strong postseason run.
“I think we can go far with how we’ve been playing…try to get some games in CCS and try to win,” Stuart said.
Ngai echoed this sentiment, acknowledging that it will be a difficult feat — but not an impossible one considering the squad’s recent play.
“We’d have to win out with the three games to really be ahead. So it’d be a challenge but a challenge we’re willing to take,” Ngai said.
