Rowsey helps Burbank bring on the noise in win

With the vibrations from the stomping of feet in the bleachers inside

the two-year-old Burbank High gymnasium, Wayne Teng fed off the noise

from the crowd.

The Bulldog girls’ volleyball coach showed plenty of emotion on

his team’s bench. It didn’t matter if his emotion flowed during a

timeout or following a key defensive play. Playing cross-town rival

Burroughs also fanned Teng’s emotions.

Lauren Rowsey finished with 19 kills to power host Burbank to a

25-15, 26-28, 25-12, 25-20 Foothill League victory against rival

Burroughs on Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs (7-2, 1-2 in league) got a much-needed win to get

back on track after beginning league with losses to Canyon and

Valencia.

The inexperienced Indians (3-7, 0-3) still have some work to do,

but there’s time to reverse their course.

Rowsey, a senior outside hitter, showed her experience on the

court. She finished with a team-best three aces and provided the

Bulldogs with some nifty defense.

“You feel the adrenaline,” Teng said. “Lauren came through, and

our defense executed when we needed to.

“We got momentum from good serving and playing good defense.”

The Bulldogs also needed to regain their form after the Indians

grabbed the second game. Sophomore middle blocker Karissa Lagmay

recorded the final two kills of the game. However, Burroughs couldn’t

sustain its momentum.

In stepped the Bulldogs, who turned to Rowsey and Dominique Allen

to save the match. Rowsey and Allen notched five kills each in the

third game.

“We had to buckle down because we had some mental lapses in the

second game,” Rowsey said. “We had good coverage on defense.”

Setter Natasha Von Sonn registered 34 assists for the Bulldogs,

who finished with 10 aces.

The teams exchanged leads throughout the second game. Burbank

fought off three game points, thanks to two kills by Rowsey.

But Lagmay got the Indians even, putting them in a position to

win.

Unfortunately for the Indians, which got 13 kills from Lagmay, it

didn’t happen.

“We played the second game with a sense of urgency,” Burroughs

Coach Edwin Real said. “I thought we’d have the momentum, and then we

didn’t.

“Then they defended well, and we didn’t have an answer.”