Photo courtesy of Stacey Burke. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIn Nebraska, volleyball isn\u2019t just a sport, it\u2019s a part of the state\u2019s DNA. Nebraska volleyball\u2019s storied history stems from the lack of professional sports teams in the state. Volleyball is such a such a large part of Nebraskan culture that the Cornhuskers made history by selling out Memorial Stadium last season.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nIn Michigan volleyball\u2019s history, no Nebraska native had ever worn the Block \u2018M\u2019 \u2014 that is, until Morgan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the very beginning, the now-sophomore setter\u2019s love for the game was evident, especially when she played for her YMCA team, Flower Power. While many of her teammates were there to simply have fun, Morgan was determined to improve, and it was clear from that start that she was serious about pursuing volleyball. She wanted to live up the reputation her state holds in the sport, while also carving out her own path.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Photo courtesy of Stacey Burke. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cThat was when they were still trying to put two and two together and learn how to do a platform and, learning how to do an overhand serve, and all the things,\u201d Stacey said. \u201c \u2026 Two of my girlfriends were the coaches of that team, and they to this day, they\u2019re like, \u2018We\u2019re not surprised.\u2019 She was amazing then, she just had it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morgan recalls those early days vividly, especially the pink tie-dye shirts her team wore for their games. From the start, volleyball was the one sport that grabbed her attention, and even as a kid, she knew it was something she wanted to pursue further. Watching Nebraska volleyball win national championships when she was younger only made her more determined\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Morgan\u2019s love for volleyball grew, so did her skill. At Skutt Catholic High School, Morgan played an important role in winning four state championships \u2014 an improbable feat in the volleyball state \u2014 contributing to the program\u2019s dominant streak of nine consecutive state titles. Not only did she contribute, but she was a catalyst. Her senior season alone \u2014 as an outside hitter, not her primary position of setter \u2014 was a showcase of her talent: 505 kills, 66 aces, 36 blocks and 430 digs. Morgan\u2019s 505 kills set the single-season record at Skutt Catholic, a record that still holds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nA huge part of Morgan\u2019s success came from her high school coach, Renee Saunders, who still remains an influential figure in her life. Saunders\u2019 impact shaped Morgan\u2019s work ethic and approach to the game. Saunders has a unique coaching style and runs her program much like a college team, preparing Morgan to suit up for the Wolverines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saunders\u2019 coaching certainly helped Morgan improve her game. But perhaps more importantly, her advice on dealing with challenging situations had the greatest impact on Morgan\u2019s life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it was constructive feedback, if it was technical feedback, if it was good news, bad news, whatever it was, she was always really receptive and really coachable,\u201d Saunders told The Daily. \u201cAnd when she would get down on herself, I felt like we had a good enough relationship that I could talk her through it.\u201d<\/p>\n\nPhoto courtesy of Stacey Burke. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPhoto courtesy of Stacey Burke. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nWhile Saunders\u2019 influence on Morgan was clear during their time together at Skutt, it extended far beyond her time in high school.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nAlthough Saunders played an important role for Morgan, growing up in Nebraska played an even bigger one. And as her high school career concluded, she had an important decision to make: stay in Nebraska, close to home, or step into the unknown and venture out of state. For most people, staying in Nebraska would\u2019ve been the obvious choice, but for Morgan, the idea of leaving was the clear frontrunner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew I wanted to go outside of Nebraska,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cI wanted to experience new things. I\u2019ve been there all my life. I can always go back home. \u2026 I knew I wanted to play in the Big Ten. I grew up watching Big Ten volleyball and seeing it on the TV.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Morgan, college wasn\u2019t just about volleyball; it was about finding a school where she could challenge herself both in the classroom and on the court.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And while her family bleeds Cornhusker red, they saw the value in Morgan crossing state lines. Even though Nebraska had been their home for two decades, Morgan\u2019s dad, Patrick, knew that the world was bigger than one state, and he hoped his children would get to experience that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think the Cornhuskers exist in Morgan\u2019s mind anymore,\u201d Patrick told The Daily. \u201cI think it\u2019s all about being a Wolverine. \u2026 She couldn\u2019t have picked a better school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nNow, Morgan takes a lot of pride in representing her state when Michigan faces Nebraska. One of her most unforgettable moments in college came when she returned home to play against the Cornhuskers against her former teammate Lindsay Krause in the Bob Devaney Sports Center, the site of all her high school championship wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she stepped back onto the court where she had won four titles \u2014 this time representing Michigan \u2014 the moment felt surreal. Saunders made sure to show up for her former players, wearing Skutt gear to remain unbiased. Surrounded by family and her volleyball family, it was a full-circle experience that reminded her just how special her connection to both the sport and Nebraska truly is.<\/p>\n
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Photo courtesy of Stacey Burke. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cI try to acknowledge (the full-circle moment),\u201d Morgan said. \u201cBut also I\u2019m here to play volleyball. I\u2019m here to do my job. \u2026 Ultimately, I want to make my family proud. I want to make my state proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patrick feels that pride, especially when he watches his daughter compete back in Nebraska. Although her on-court accomplishments bring him great pride, Patrick finds his pride shining the brightest when Morgan signs any autograph and takes any picture, becoming an inspiration. For him, seeing her play back home is a reminder of how far she\u2019s come, how much she\u2019s accomplished and the history she has made as a Nebraskan on the Wolverines roster.\u00a0<\/p>\nPhoto courtesy of Stacey Burke. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cWhen (former Michigan coach Mark Rosen) recruited Morgan, that was one of the first things that he had said,\u201d Patrick said. \u201cHe had made the comment, he goes, \u2018This is kind of interesting, Morgan. You\u2019re the first person from Nebraska that\u2019s ever played at Michigan,\u2019 and so I think it\u2019s unbelievable. You can only be a first one time and Morgan gets that availability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\n
Volleyball has always been more than just a sport to Morgan \u2014 it\u2019s a connection to the places and people who shaped her. Now, as she steps onto the court in maize and blue, she carries something deeper than a jersey. She carries the spirit of where she came from, a reminder of the volleyball culture that shaped her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Morgan Burke\u2019s journey from Omaha to Ann Arbor is one of passion and pride. As the first Nebraska native to ever play volleyball for Michigan, she\u2019s not just representing the Wolverines in a sport she loves, she\u2019s representing and carrying a piece of Nebraska with her.<\/p>\n
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Photo courtesy of Stacey Burke. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n
Related articles<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Morgan Burke was just a kid when her mom and grandma first took her to a Creighton volleyball match. As soon as the game started, Burke was completely consumed by the action, her eyes glued to the court from start to finish.\u00a0 \u201cThe girl did not take her eyes off (the match),\u201d Burke\u2019s mom, Stacey, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[434,436,222,433,431,432,435],"class_list":{"0":"post-477","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-burkes","9":"tag-journey","10":"tag-michigan","11":"tag-morgan","12":"tag-nebraskan","13":"tag-play","14":"tag-volleyball"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":479,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477\/revisions\/479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}