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Trapper Libero Heading For Division I
Northwest College sophomore Katie Burnett will continue her volleyball career at the NCAA Division I level after inking a letter of intent with Tennessee State University. The Tigers, out of the Ohio Valley Conference, are coming off an 18-14 season that ended in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
“I’ve had a Burnett on my teams since 2007, and they’re just program changers for you,” said Trapper head coach Shaun Pohlman. “It’s hard to find programs that give out libero scholarships, let alone a full-ride D1 scholarship. Tennessee State was the first school to ask her on a visit, and being first sometimes is the key in the recruiting process.”
Burnett joins six others as a member of the Tigers’ 2013 recruiting class. The Nashville, Tenn., school is coming off its fourth highest win total in program history. In a Tuesday press release, Tiger head coach Kathy Roulhac called the group “the best recruiting class that we’ve had since I started.”
“We lost some experienced players that could play libero,” Roulhac said of the Tigers. “So to be able to bring in a former libero of the year [in Burnett], it was the perfect fit.”
Burnett was the Region IX libero of the year for the Trappers as the team went unbeaten in regional play during the regular season. Burnett was a member of the all-region, all regional tournament and all-conference first teams during an accolade-filled sophomore campaign.
Burnett finished her sophomore season with 384 digs, an average of 5.33 per set. She was second on the team in service aces. The Trappers posted a 21-11 record last fall.
“I’m absolutely excited for her,” Pohlman said. “There were some other D2 and NAIA options out there for her, but I’m excited she has this chance. She was prepared to walk away and not take it if it wasn’t a good fit, but by her second day out there, she could see herself going to school there and fitting in with the team.”
While Burnett’s departure will leave a void on the Trappers’ back line next fall, Pohlman has a positive outlook.
“I’m not nervous, because we have a very strong recruiting class coming in,” said Pohlman. “This will be the first time I’ve not had a Burnett in my program, so we’ll have to see who wants to be that missing piece. It has to happen organically.”