Despite the Pain, El Dorado’s Burk Won’t Stop

Although Vicky Burk has become the top player on her El Dorado High School team in only her second season, volleyball has become a pain.

That’s not pain as in an added aggravation to a daily schedule--it’s more like getting kicked on the shins.

Burk, The Times’ Athlete of the Week, has shin splints that limit the number of running drills in which she can participate.

Yet Burk, a senior, has emerged as El Dorado’s physical and emotional leader.

“She makes up for (the lack of running) by doing other drills like riding the bike,” El Dorado Coach Sue Halsted said. “In volleyball, you need conditioning in both aerobic and anaerobic. She could probably be in better shape, but she’s OK.”

Burk had 15 kills and two blocks to lead El Dorado to a 15-11, 15-8, 9-15, 15-8, victory over Diamond Bar last Tuesday and was a top player at the Fullerton tournament last weekend. Burk has become the main force on the team.

“I try to be aggressive,” Burk said. “I think that each time we play, we know we can win.”

Said Halsted: “She’s our captain and I think she enjoys being in a position of leadership. If we’re having trouble, we tend to send the ball her way.”

And why not? Burk can spike, pass and block well.

Moreover, she wants to spike, pass and block, which may be her only problem outside of shin splints.

“Sometimes she’s so aggressive that she will take another player’s ball,” Halsted said. “But I’d rather have that kind of mistake than others. Her aggressiveness has made her a better player.”

So has playing on the Magnum club team. It might be the main reason she developed into a quality volleyball player in just two years.

“Nothing in my game was really strong (before playing on Magnum), and now I am happy with my game,” Burk said. “The coaching there has really made a difference.”

Burk played two years of basketball before her chronic shin splints forced her to quit.

“I was always interested in playing volleyball, so when I found out that I could play it without the pain, I started playing,” Burk said.

Even with the pain, Burk does not look forward to the off-season for rest.

“I’d like to play year round,” Burk said. “It would be nice not to have the pain, but I love volleyball.”

TOP PERFORMERS Jenny Hoffman had 15 kills to lead Calvary Chapel to a 15-6, 6-15, 15-11, 15-4, victory over Bethel Christian Tuesday.

Savanna’s Cindy Kuragami swept her sets, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, in a 13-5 loss to Tustin Wednesday.

Ashley Thurston swept her sets, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, to lead Villa Park to a 14-6 victory over Magnolia Wednesday.

Edison’s doubles team of Nikki Turner and Laura Oleson swept its matches, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, Wednesday to help the Chargers defeat University, 72-71, in games.