Aubrey Burns (30) of Fairbanks blasts the ball over the net during a 2023 match. Burns will continue her career at Clark State University in Springfield.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Despite making a name for herself on the high school volleyball court, Fairbanks High School senior Aubrey Burns wasn’t going to continue her athletic career once she graduated from FHS.
It took a a bit of convincing from a teammate on her club team to change her mind.
“I originally wasn’t going to play volleyball any more,” said Burns, who recently signed to play the sport at Clark State University in Springfield. “I had decided I just didn’t want to play on the college level.”
It took a little coaxing from her club team setter to change the Lady Panther hitter’s mind.
“Emma Sallot (from Kenton Ridge High School) was my setter last season on my club team (the Sharks 17 National from Urbana),” said Burns. “I loved how she set the ball to me.”
Sallot had already committed to play volleyball at Clark State and wanted to team up again with Burns on the collegiate level.
“She convinced me that it would be cool to play volleyball together again,” said Burns.
Clark State’s volleyball roster in 2023 consisted of athletes from such high schools as Mechanicsburg, Kenton Ridge, Urbana, Graham, Springfield Northwestern and Kettering Fairmont.”
The Fairbanks Lady Panthers played Clark State’s squad during a 2023 summer league match and defeated the collegiate squad.
“We did pretty well against them,” said Burns.
Although Fairbanks won that summer match, Clark State went on to post a 16-10 overall record and a 9-3 conference mark during the ensuing season.
The Eagles’ roster consisted of underclassmen last year and most of those players will be returning for the 2024 campaign.
With those lettermen back, Burns said she doesn’t know whether she can crack the starting lineup.
“I think I’ll play, but whether I start…. I don’t know.”
Burns helped Fairbanks post a pair of stout back-to-back seasons during her junior and senior seasons.
During that stretch, the Lady Panthers went 45-4 in all matches (with a Division III district title in 2022) and 31-1 in Ohio Heritage Conference contests.
Burns was a big reason for that success as she tallied a total of 246 kills and came through with 73 blocks.
She was an honorable mention selection in the OHC following the 2023 season.
Burns will study Agricultural Business Management.
“I’ve always been raised on a farm (Burns Farms LLC) and we also own a feed mill operation,” she said. “My goal is to eventually purchase our family business.”