Kaitlyn Burke Brings Competitive Fire to Women’s Volleyball

Second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke found her stride with Loyola’s women’s volleyball program. Breaking her record for most kills in a match during preseason, her tall vertical and competitive spirit has driven the Ramblers this season.

Hailing from Shawnee, Kan., Burke went to Mill Valley High School, where she helped her team win their first state championship in 2023. Burke has been playing volleyball since second grade, but played various sports like soccer and competitive gymnastics throughout her childhood. 

Once high school hit, her parents advised her to focus on one sport. She was too tall to be a gymnast, and though said she was really good at soccer, she knew volleyball was it. 

Throughout her years of playing volleyball, Burke said the coaching change in her junior year of high school had one of the biggest impacts. Kylie Corneliusen became the head coach of the Mill Valley varsity volleyball team in 2022. She earned the honor of AVCA 30 under 30 for High School coaches in 2025.

“She came in with a lot of fire and really turned our program around,” Burke said. “She had a lot of faith in me as a player, and she was one of the people in my life who believed in me the most and had the most confidence in me out of a lot of coaches I had played with.” 

She played club at Pohaku Volleyball Club and was competing at Triple Crown in Kansas City, a notorious club tournament filled with college scouts. Associate head coach Morgan Salow saw Burke playing and texted her to reach out. Before winning the state championship in October 2023, Burke committed to Loyola April 7, 2023. 

After an official visit to one school, Burke came on her official visit to Loyola and knew this was the place she wanted to be. 

“My second official visit was Loyola,” Burke said. “I came here and thought wow, the city, the place, the school and the coaches who I felt had a lot of confidence in me coming into their program. They told me, ‘We want you to be a big factor here at Loyola.’” 

Head coach Amanda Berkley said the coaching staff was drawn to her high jump and tall reach. Despite not seeing Burke at a prospect camp the summer before she committed — Berkley was away on maternity leave — she said she was impressed by Burke when watching her play in club tournaments. 

Burke had playing time in 16 matches her rookie season and tallied 17 kills on the season. This season, Burke has seen 29 games and has been a consistent starter for the team. When playing non-conference matches in the spring after the recent graduates had left, Burke said she started to feel ready to compete with the team and gained confidence in her position as a starter. 

Berkley commended Burke’s competitive fire in the gym and the hard work she puts in day in and day out. She said Burke has a winning mentality, and the growth that has come from year one to year two has been key to the team’s success. 

A further confidence boost came from the Ramblers’ preseason game versus Stephen F. Austin University when Burke tallied a career high of 25 kills. 

“It was just a click,” Burke said. “It was a moment I felt my team really lean on me and look to me to carry them through those five set matches. Feeling my team support me and the excitement was an incredible feeling.”

Despite the highs, the team struggled in their non-conference slate, playing big teams like the University of Minnesota and Indiana University. Burke said the team had big aspirations of beating these opponents, but it turned into a setback before conference play had even started. 

Having played against many of their opponents in club volleyball, Burke said it took a hit on the team’s morale. In order not to let one bad game affect the next, Burke said she loves to journal and write down her thoughts or talk to her roommate — a woman’s golf player — about games or practice. 

“Something I really like to do is journal,” Burke said. “I write down my thoughts on the past game and my mindset going into the next game. It’s a way to leave the bad games in the past.”

When not in volleyball mode, Burke enjoys baking, walking by the lake or just sitting and listening to the water. 

“I like having a body of water right here,” Burke said. “It’s the best thing ever, and it’s so beautiful. I just walk and listen to music or sit on the benches and reflect on practice or games and it’s a good recharge for me.”

This year, living in an apartment-style dorm, Burke said she’s had more time to continue her hobby of baking treats like cookies or pumpkin bread. She got into the hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic and loved baking for her family and said she finds it rewarding. 

Burke said the team’s goal is to make it to the Atlantic 10 (A10) championship and win another ring, as they have two regular season games remaining — both against George Mason University. Beyond the A10, she said the team hopes to make it to the NCAA tournament and continue to break records. 

Berkley said Burke’s competitive spirit can help drive her to be the best player she can be. 

“She’s got a whip of an arm and the tools to be a really great player,” Berkley said. “She is still working hard and wants to be the best she can be, her competitive spirit is combined with a really high contact.”

As a player, she hopes to continue to develop her skills and continue to be the best teammate she can to help support her team over the next few years. Berkley sees her as a leader in the future as she continues to elevate her game and continues to feel comfortable playing six rotations all the time.