It’s not even an argument – White County has never had a player as decorated and talented as Linsey Burke. And the Lady Warriors have had quite a bit of talent on the roster. It’s a testament to Burke’s hard work and her standout abilities on the court. She’s well-decorated, and now adds BLITZ Volleyball Player of the Year honors to her collection.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 925 Assists
• 3,141 Career Assists (School Record)
• 248 Digs
• 93 Aces
• 65 Kills
• 16 Blocks

Linsey Burke put together quite the career at White County. She finished with a mind-boggling 3,141 assists. That’s just about unbreakable. This year alone, she had 925 (just off her 977 single-season school record set in 2022), and posted 248 digs, 93 aces, 65 kills, and 16 blocks. She truly did it all, as her serving aces total was near the top of the national leaderboard, much less the state leaderboard.

VOTING RESULTS

1. Linsey Burke – 52.5 pts (7 1st-place votes)
2. Addy McCoy – 45.5 pts (4)
3. Kaytlin Johnson – 43 pts (3)
4. Morgan Powell – 27.5 pts (2)
5. Meghan Roche – 12 pts
6. Lola Pruitt – 9.5 pts
7. Mary Richardson – 6 pts

Voting included our 16-person panel made up of sports reporters, writers, video producers, former coaches, players, GHSA officials, and sports experts. The voting is Heisman-style, with the following points system:
1st place votes: 5 pts; 2nd: 3 pts; 3rd: 2 pts; 4th: 1 pts; 5th-6th: 0.5 pts; 7th-8th 0.25 pts

Burke was 3rd in voting last year with a couple of 1st-place votes, but this year she broke through with 7 1st-place tallies to lead all finalists. However, it was far from clear-cut. The talent was awesome in our area, and it showed in the voting, as behind Burke’s 7 1st-place votes, Addy McCoy had 4, Kaytlin Johnson 3, and Morgan Powell 2. That’s a sign that all of these girls were very close together in their outlook.

HISTORY OF VOLLEYBALL POY

• 2023 – Linsey Burke – White SR S
• 2022 – Sarah Jennings – Tallulah Falls SR OH
• 2021 – Sarah Jennings – Tallulah Falls JR OH
• 2020 – Katy Corbett – Tallulah Falls SR OH
• 2019 – Katy Corbett – Tallulah Falls JR OH
• 2018 – JoJo Smith – Jefferson SO OH
• 2017 – Katerina Shalikashvili – Habersham SR OH
• 2016 – Lainey Gosnell – Habersham SR MH
• 2015 – Lainey Gosnell – Habersham JR OH
• 2014 – Chaselin Allen – Habersham SR L
• 2013 – Caeli Chambers – Habersham SR L
• 2012 – Haley Gerrin – Habersham SR MH
• 2011 – Haley Gerrin – Habersham JR MH
• 2010 – Alexia Wilson – Lumpkin JR MH
• 2009 – Megan Rowland – Habersham SR OH

Linsey Burke is the first setter ever to win BLITZ Volleyball Player of the Year. That’s fantastic. She is also the first from White County to claim the honors. In all, Burke is the 9th senior to earn POY.