Laiken & Her Family 👪❤
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Laiken Ann Burnett
Parents : Glenn and Christy Burnett
Hometown : Woodlawn, Virginia
Class : Junior
Height : 5’9
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Laiken Burnett :
I have been playing volleyball as long as I can remember. I love volleyball. It is a relaxing and fun way to take my mind off life and focus on playing volleyball and enjoying time with my teammates. I love my teammates and coaches with everything in me and I am so thankful for all of them. I am so thankful for my family and how supportive they constantly are of me.
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From Mom and Dad :
Parents:
Laiken lives life to the fullest. She loves her family and all her teammates. She is passionate about helping others reach their full potential. She loves volleyball. We are thankful for her coaches and teammates. We love watching her play.
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Assistant Coach Maleah Neely :
Setters have a special place in my heart because I was one. It’s an understanding of, “Hey I really know this position because I played it, and I know the weight that the position holds – let me help you carry it until you can do it on your own.”
From my first year with Taylor Jo Burnette (now Dalton) to Taylor Spangler (now Combs), then to Hannah Spangler, then Natalie Harris and Emily Dalton, and now Laiken, there is just an understanding. The setter language is one that many times is unspoken – usually using hand signals, or even just a certain look.
My goal always is for setters to become more independent with running the court – from setting the offense to being offensive. Laiken has started to do that. She runs the floor, but still needs guidance from time to time on what to do and who the hot hitter is. Many times she just needs the reassurance that who she wants to set is a good choice, or that dumping the ball is a good choice. She knows what to do, it’s just that reassurance sometimes is needed. Laiken has stepped up her defense and has led us in digs in 2 or 3 games this season.
She also, unsurprisingly, leads us in assists on the season and is running a super steady offense with our outsides pretty similar in kills. She is leading an undersized and oftentimes outmatched team to some pretty solid games. As a lefty, Laiken is set up to be more of an offensive threat in the front row, and she has worked to make herself an option that other teams have to respect. As good as she has been for us this year, Laiken’s love is across the road down on the Diamond.
She is an excellent softball player and many weekends you will find her covered in dirt, doing one of the things she loves most. All her time playing sports doesn’t take away from her academics though.
She is one of the most studious kids I have been around and takes it seriously. She does not let herself be defined by sports or academics, but instead finds her peace and strength in Jesus. One look at her social media and you can see how much she loves sports, but even before that you see how much she loves Jesus.
With Jesus at the forefront and her stellar work ethic, there is no mountain that she won’t be able to conquer.
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Head Coach Cindy Edwards :
Laiken is a Jr. Setter with a lot of ability to control the game our offense runs through her hands and the decisions she makes setting the ball .
Laiken last year had great middles to set to who put the ball down this year she has to distribute it all around more including her self as a hitter when she’s on the front row.
Laiken also has been one of those 3 sport athletes who is very smart and knowledgeable because she see everything so well.
A.S.P.N on The Hill 