Gainesville's Rose Burke Selected as the Next St. Mary's College of Maryland Head Volleyball Coach

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Rose Burke

ST. MARY'S CITY, MD (04/04/2013)(readMedia)-- St. Mary's City, Md. – Scott Devine, the director of athletics and recreation at St. Mary's College of Maryland, is pleased to announce that Rose Burke (Gainesville, Fla.) has been named the next head coach of the Seahawk volleyball program. Burke becomes the 13th mentor in the 31-year history of St. Mary's volleyball.

Devine stated, "It is my pleasure to announce Rose Burke as our next head volleyball coach and newest member of the Seahawk athletic family. Rose has had experience at the D-I level as both a successful player and assistant coach."

Burke, 25, comes to St. Mary's with 13 years of volleyball experience, both as a player and coach. She was a four-year starter at NCAA Division I California State University, Sacramento on a full athletic scholarship. Burke was part of three Big Sky Conference championship teams while at Sacramento State, earning all-conference honors in 2007 and 2008 as a setter. She also enjoyed competing in the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament between 2005 and 2007.

Tom Fisher, the chair of the volleyball search committee, said, "I would like to thank the members of the search committee that participated in the process for the selection of the next volleyball coach. On behalf of the committee, I wish Coach Burke and the women's volleyball team continued success during the upcoming season."

The Gainesville, Florida native caught the coaching bug in college, working at camps for middle and high school students. Burke then honed her coaching philosophy and skills as a D-I assistant at Florida International University and Morgan State University.

During her one season at FIU, the Panthers were ranked in the Top 25 and won the 2009 Sun Belt Conference regular-season title. Burke developed her recruiting style while at Morgan State (July 2010-July 2012) as her first recruiting class took the MSU Bears from fifth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to second the following season.

"She also knows what is involved in the recruiting process. In addition to her college coaching and playing background, Rose has also coached at the club level in three different states," added Devine. "The combination of those experiences will serve her well as she continues to build upon the already strong base of our volleyball program. We are excited to have someone with Rose's playing and coaching resume, along with her passion for the sport of volleyball, in place as our new head coach."

Burke inherits a volleyball program that went 21-9 (4-2 CAC) this past season under nine-year head coach Morris Davis, advancing to the Capital Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament semifinals. During Davis' tenure, the Seahawks put together a 173-113 record and finished as the CAC tournament runner-up in 2007 and 2008.

Burke expressed, "I am excited to take over a strong program with motivated players. Coach Davis did an amazing job and I want to pick up where he left off and continue to grow and improve the team."

Devine concluded with, "I know Coach Burke is eager to start right away and work with the team during their spring season as we enter the last five weeks of the semester. We all welcome Rose to St. Mary's College and to the Department of Athletics and Recreation."

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