While the IU Southeast Volleyball team extended its losing streak at the hands of Lindsey Wilson in four sets on Thursday, Oct. 22, a bright spot helped ease the pain of their third consecutive defeat. Senior Libero Kenna Burman finished the match with a season-high 31 digs, giving her a career total of 2,008, surpassing Bobbi Malott’s 1,993 for the all-time program record. Not only is she now a statistical leader in the program, but she is also the first Grenadier to record over 2,000 digs in her collegiate career.

“Coming into my Freshmen year, I never would have thought I would end up beating the record,” Burman said. ” I was really happy that I was able to break it.”

The historic night adds to a prominent list of accolades for Burman, especially on the defensive side of the court. Burman was named River States Conference Defensive Player of the Year and All-RSC Second Team in 2018, as well as All-RSC First Team in 2019. She has also been named RSC Defender of the Week five times over the course of her career.

“Before each match, I always tell myself to just go for any ball,” Burman said of how she focuses before every match.” Even if I don’t get a touch on it maybe someone else will be able to get it up, but as I always say, ‘you don’t know what you can get to unless you try.’ ”

A product of Hamilton Heights High School, the Arcadia, Indiana native also had a successful high school career. As an outside hitter, she helped the Lady Huskies to the Mid-Indiana Conference (MIC) Championship while also earning an All-Conference Honorable Mention as a freshman in 2013. She was named to Hamilton County’s All-Conference 2nd and All-County 2nd Teams as a junior and All-Conference and All-County 1st Teams as a senior. During those two years, she was also invited to the Indiana North/South All-Star tryouts.

“Kenna is such a unique and relentless competitor,” Head Coach Eric Brian said. “She is probably the most consistent player I have ever coached because her attitude, effort, and performance is always the same, every day. No matter what, she always has a good attitude, gives her best effort, and supports her teammates. She is an amazing kid.”

Burman currently ranks second all-time with 5.07 digs per game, second only to Jodi Wessell, who averaged 6.92 during her two years with the Grenadiers in 1992-93. She is also tied for second all-time with Whitney Maymon (2000-03), Shannon Heazlitt (1996-98), and Taylor Sutton (2014-16) with a 94.7 percent reception percentage.

Author’s Note: Kenna Burman’s listed career statistics are accurate as of Oct. 23, 2020