Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
FRANKFORT — Katie Burns is, in a word, inevitable.
It’s not a matter of if Burns will make her mark during a match, but rather a matter of when.
This fall, Adena’s junior spent all season harassing opponents with a powerful swing at the net. The results speak for themselves. Burns logged a team-high 524 kills, averaging 5.8 per set, and added 35 aces, 83 blocks and 128 digs to her resume.
Those numbers helped her earn all-league, all-district and first-team All-Ohio status. And, she’s now adding another accolade to her already-crowded trophy case. She’s been selected as SOSA’s Glo Fiber Athlete of the Month.
While the honor is an individual one, Burns, as always, throws the credit back to her teammates.
“My team this year was so unselfish,” Burns said. “We all just wanted to win and see each other do well. Playing on a team like that makes stepping on the court so much easier and knowing that we all have one goal in mind … winning. The key to keeping that mindset is to always be unselfish and to not put our personal goals in front of the goals we set for our team.”
Behind Burns, the Warriors finished the season at 24-4 overall with a 14-0 mark in SVC action.
That might seem like business as usual in Frankfort.
But when you consider how many returning players had a plethora of varsity experience — Burns being one of them — it truly is an amazing tale of a true team coming together.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“Winning the Gold Ball and proving people wrong [was special],” Burns said. “At the beginning of the season, we had a target on our backs. Everyone thought we were going to have a losing season but we overcame those odds and we did it with so many players that had little, if any, playing time at the varsity level. I’m so happy that I was able to help my team achieve those goals and it means so much to me.”
The Warriors’ 24 wins included the program’s 38th district championship and 11th regional crown — the first since 2021.
That effort was, of course, led by legendary coach Laura Smith. By the of the season, Smith’s career coaching win total stood at 839, which ranks second in state history.
“[Playing for Coach Smith is] challenging. But I wouldn’t want to have it any other way,” Burns said. “She constantly pushes you to be your best and she never settles for anything less. I always tell younger players to take in what she tells them and apply it to their game. I tell them that they will benefit from it in the long run.”
There were many memories made, honors earned and goals checked off the list for Burns. Going into her senior year, she’ll be standing at career totals of 850 kills, 142 blocks and 213 digs, looking to play add-on.
But if she never records another kill, as long as her team is succeeding, she’ll have a smile on her face. And you can bet your bottom dollar she’ll be aiming to earn a second consecutive Gold Ball.
“The Gold Ball is something I have always wanted to achieve. As a freshman playing with my sister, we were so close to getting it,” Burns said. “I wanted it, not only for myself, but for her and my past teammates. I also knew how much it meant to them and being able to get it this year with so many first-year varsity players made it that much sweeter.”
POWERED BY GLO FIBER
