Since she was 10, Madison Burr has dreamed of playing volleyball in the Bob Devaney Sports Center on the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln.
Last Friday night, that dream came true when her Jackrabbits volleyball team played Miami in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“The fact that we got the opportunity to come to Nebraska to play here, I think, is just like the biggest accomplishment,” Burr said. “Just to get that at-large bid to come here is like so crazy to think.”
Burr’s dream probably didn’t last as long as she had hoped as South Dakota State lost in three sets to the Hurricanes to close out an outstanding 27-3 season.
Despite the setback, the 6-foot-1 freshman middle hitter will have some pretty good memories when she looks back on this season. She finished the regular season with a near .350 hitting percentage, 209 kills and the Summit League Freshman of the Year Award.
With what head coach Dan Georgalas calls a “terminal” arm and the ability to score in many ways, Georgalas is confident in Burr’s abilities and leadership skills to help lead the team in the future. Maybe even to more NCAA tournaments.
Burr, of Goodhue, Minnesota, grew up a multi-sport athlete and joined club volleyball at age 13. It wasn’t until her junior year of high school that she quit basketball and started to take volleyball more seriously by beginning the recruiting process.
She finished her high school career by receiving all-state honors two years in a row and accomplishing all-conference in every season of her prep career.
“The entire team knew she had a huge role coming in as a freshman and when she stepped into it, I don’t think she was shaken at all,” said teammate Rylee Martin. “I’m really happy that she’s on my side of the net.”
Burr moved to South Dakota last summer to start practices and traveled with her new team to Brazil in June.
“After coming to SDSU and meeting the coaches and hearing about how Dan (Georgalas) wanted to build up the program and take off with it, and just seeing how excited he was to have me as a part of the program, was when I made my final decision,” Burr said when asked why she committed to SDSU.
“Going from high school to college was definitely a big change and something I had to just jump right into feet first,” Burr added. “It was definitely a struggle coming in, but I think the coaches and the girls a part of this team are just so supportive and they want to be here for me and the rest of the girls.”
Georgalas said it is unusual for a freshman to come in with as much confidence as Burr did.
“She’s got really high energy,” said Georgalas, whose 2023 team finished 9-20. “She had a successful high school career and was a multi-sport athlete and qualified for the state tournament and played some good level club ball.”
On and off the court, Burr is described as competitive, but also silly and goofy, which is a special combination that her teammates and coaches enjoy about her.
Looking forward to next year, Geogalas wants to help Burr grow more consistent and be able to produce double-digit kills every match.
Burr’s biggest inspiration has been her parents.
“Every time I get out on the court, I think of how much they (her parents) have sacrificed for me to play the sport that I love,” Burr said. “That has been the leading inspiration for me to keep playing.”
Burr plans to play three more years of volleyball at SDSU while majoring in construction management. She hopes to own her own business one day and potentially do something with volleyball after college.