BURBANK – Making the CIF Southern Section girls volleyball playoffs looked uncertain for Burroughs with less than two weeks left in the regular season.
The Bears lost six straight games — to Crescenta Valley, South Pasadena, Arcadia, Campolindo, Santa Margarita and Buchanan of Clovis — through the first week of October and fell to 12-14 overall.
“We didn’t think we could do it,” Burroughs junior middle blocker Alex Hammeke recalled. “We weren’t doing well and then we turned it around.”
Burroughs lost in four sets to No. 1 Portola of Irvine, 23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-14, Thursday night in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs at Burroughs High.
The team’s determination to play together in the final four games of the regular season and earn a better playoff spot will be remembered more than the final score.
Hammeke finished with 10 kills and three blocks, and outside hitter Amelia Walsh added nine kills for Burroughs (17-15).
“We had a great run,” Burroughs coach Edwin Real said. “(Portola’s) defense was really good and they maneuvered around us very well.”
The Bears earned a playoff spot as an at-large team after finishing the regular season with four straight wins, including a sweep of Burbank. They also had wins against Scripps Ranch, Crescenta Valley and La Canada.
Burroughs moved this season to the Arroyo League after going 16-1 last season in the Pacific League. The Bears were 3-5 in the Arroyo League.
In the first round of the playoffs they beat Summit at home on Tuesday.
“After we played our tour abroad in Redondo Beach, we started playing like ourselves,” Hammeke said. “I know we didn’t show it tonight, but we really stepped up and started playing as a team.”
Portola (17-9) will host North Torrance in the Division 4 quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Junior middle hitter Rebecca Jeanty finished with 10 kills for Portola, while getting support from junior Nina Ahn and outside hitter Ronica Aryanfar, who hit short balls and forced Burroughs out of the rotation.
