Emma De Cunzo Steinglass records a game-winning ace to send Northwood packing 

The first round of the playoffs didn’t disappoint for both teams. Still, the Burroughs Bears overcame a 2-1 match deficit to defeat the Northwood Timberwolves in five sets (25-15, 15-25, 17-25, 25-19, 16-14) behind Emma De Cunzo Steinglass’s game-winning ace. Last week, Burroughs ended their regular season with a sweeping win over Glendale in the final round of the inaugural Pacific League Tournament. At the same time, Northwood split two games with Laguna Beach on Wednesday, October 16th. 

The Bears began the opening set with an 8-2 scoring run with Khloe Pavia, Amelia Walsh, Lilly McTeer, and Kiana Hildebrandt helping start the parade of points. Hildarant also recorded the set-ending kill to conclude the first set to give the Bears a 25-15 victory in the opening frame. 

Northwood began the second set with a 4-0 scoring run as Liz Jung started it all with a kill while the Bears gave away points to the Timberwolves following the kill. Grace Tucker recorded back-to-back aces to help contribute to the team’s 14-8 scoring run. Jung had a match-ending kill to give Northwood a 25-15 win in set two. 

The Wolves carried the momentum heading into the third set by coming out top 25-17 with Jung having two kills in that particular set. The Bear’s season was on the line heading into the fourth set but Amelia Walsh found a way to save their season by recording back-to-back kills to help them overcome an 8-4 deficit to tie the score at 8. Sienna Lay’s two aces changed the complexion of the game to give Burroughs a 17-14 lead and eventually helped the Bears force a winner-take-all fifth set.  

Both the Bears and Timberwolves went neck and neck to begin the fifth set until Northwood committed a turnover to pave away the match point for Burroughs. Steinglass sent the Timberwolves packing with a game-winning ace to help the Bears move on to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 Playoffs. 

“I was super excited and happy we got the win, we didn’t make it past the first round a season ago but we finally broke through,” said Bears libero Emma De Cunzo Steinglass. Steinglass also said that Walsh saved Burroughs’s season and called her an amazing player when asked about her three kills that saved the season by overcoming an 8-4 deficit. 

“It was a hard-fought win, Northwood is a well-coached team but couldn’t stop them in certain areas but found our way back in it,” said Bears coach Edwin Real. Real added that Walsh had been clutch throughout the contest and got super excited when Steinglass recorded the game-winning ace to end the game for the Bears. 

With the loss, Northwood’s season has come to a close. Burroughs will take on Millikan High School in Long Beach on the road in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 Playoffs on Saturday, October 26th. The first serve for this match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.