Burnham rounding into star for Sailors

As a neighborhood food drive coordinator and a member of the National Charity League, Kirby Burnham knows all about sharing the wealth.

The Newport Harbor High senior outside hitter is making that a bit of a personal mission on the volleyball court as well this season, playing in the back row for the first time in her varsity career.

“Her greatest attribute is her all-around skills,” Sailors Coach Dan Glenn said of the 6-foot-2 standout, who committed as a junior to play collegiately at USC. “She can play the right side, in the middle, and on the left side. And, she has great hands and could be a setter. She’s also getting better and better at passing and on defense.”

Burnham was already a valuable weapon for the Sailors, having led the team last season with 161 kills, en route to earning All-Newport-Mesa and second-team All-Sunset League laurels for the CIF Southern Section Division I-AA quarterfinalists.

But with an off-season of beach volleyball to help sharpen her skills off the net, she wasted no time displaying how she will distribute her newfound wealth of abilities.

In the Sailors’ season-opening five-game win over Long Beach Poly on Sept. 10, Burnham produced a team-high 19 kills, 21 digs, four ace serves and one block. The performance earned her Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week honors.

“Kirby really stepped up on the offensive side [against Poly],” Glenn said. “Katey Thompson [the Newport-Mesa Player of the Year as a junior] played, but had a sprained ankle, so she was really just used as a decoy. Without the typical number of kills from Katey, we relied more on Kirby.”

Burnham, who struggled somewhat earlier in her career while growing into her lanky body, has relied upon a strong work ethic to continually improve.

And while she said having already selected her collegiate home has helped her relax and just play this season, receiving a scholarship has made her anything but complacent.

“I can’t take this year easy; I want to do well this season,” said Burnham, who along with Newport Harbor sophomore setter Cinnamon Sary won the 18-and-under title at the California Beach Volleyball Assn. tournament in Huntington Beach in August. “I want to do well this season, grow as a player and become better in all my skills.”

Among those skills is leadership, Glenn said.

“Her attitude has been great,” Glenn said. “She wasn’t originally a captain in the spring, but she did such a great job, I made her one of our captains and she has been a leader on the court.”

Burnham missed her sophomore season at Newport, when she attended the fall semester at an international school in Paris, France. She moved there with her parents after her father accepted a work assignment abroad.

And, Burnham, who is also a standout in track and field, where she competes in the hurdles, long jump and triple jump, said the experience abroad — playing on a club team with players from several countries — has added to her well-roundedness.

“It made me grow as a player,” she said of her season in France, where she picked up enough French to navigate through daily life. “It gave me better leadership skills and taught me how to adapt to different situations.”

Burnham is still adapting daily on the court, where Glenn believes her best volleyball may be ahead of her.

“She’s already a good high school player, but I think she is going to be a phenomenal college player,” Glenn said. “She has the potential to get a lot better, a tremendous upside.”