
Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Manon Burris, a 2017 Vestavia Hills High School graduate, now plays volleyball for Birmingham-Southern College.
Manon Burris thought her days at the net were over once she graduated from Vestavia Hills High School.
She thought she would be able to put aside the game of volleyball, a game she had played most of her life, and start anew by pursuing other things at Birmingham-Southern College.
Burris was able to get that fresh start, but after a short period of time, the game she grew up with beckoned again. She couldn’t resist the call and now she’ll be wearing a uniform once again in the fall.
“When I came here, I started new and I realized it was something I missed and I wanted to play again,” she said.
That prompted her to darken the door of Birmingham-Southern volleyball coach Haven O’Quinn, who competed against Burris as the head coach at Mountain Brook High.
O’Quinn initially thought Burris might be asking for a way to help the team in an off-the-court role, but was overjoyed to find out that Burris wanted to play the sport again.
“I could tell immediately that she deeply missed the sport,” O’Quinn said. “It was not something on a whim. I could tell she had really thought about it.”
It’s not as if O’Quinn offered Burris a spot on the team out of goodwill. Burris’ addition to the team helps reinforce the setter position, after the Panthers graduated two of them following last season.
“The setting position is going to be one where I want healthy competition,” O’Quinn said. “With Manon, I see her probably setting and doing some defense.”
The itch to return to the game began manifesting itself in December, when Burris helped coach the 13-year-old team with Birmingham Volleyball Club. It was also during that opportunity Burris realized she would bring more to Birmingham-Southern’s team than just a skillset that needs to be dusted off and refined.
“I realized I know the game more than I thought I did,” she said. “I know where to set the ball and I see the court really well.”
Another facet of the game Burris longed for after giving up volleyball was the camaraderie of a team, something she said was “weird” to be without during her college freshman year.
“You have it for so long and it’s gone,” O’Quinn said. “It’s something you crave and miss. I was thrilled and I’m so happy that she wants to play. The way she puts it is she wants to be a good team player.”
Burris said she is prepared for the challenge of earning a spot in the Panthers rotation in the fall, and she doesn’t seem fazed by the hard work she will have to put in over the next few months.
“That’s part of the fun,” she said. “Everyone earns their own spot their own way. If there’s someone better than me, they’re better than me. I’m going to work hard still and be a good teammate.”
Burris will now have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her father, who played soccer at Birmingham-Southern.
“They’re really excited,” Burris said of her family’s reaction to her return to the sport. “My mom’s really happy I decided to get back into it. My dad played soccer here, so he’s excited that he gets to come back and relive the glory days.”