Burgar stacks awards ahead of senior night

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This article was published 07/02/2025 (302 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Avery Burgar manufactured the most magical moment the Healthy Living Centre has seen this season.

That five-set victory over the country’s No. 2-ranked Fraser Valley Cascades two weeks ago will forever remain the signature win of her Brandon University women’s volleyball career. Not only was it a monumental upset, but it encapsulates her time in the Wheat City perfectly.

The fourth-year left side from Sylvan Lake, Alta., will try to create a few more memories today at 7:45 p.m., and Saturday at 6:45 p.m., against the Winnipeg Wesmen (6-10), her final home weekend with the Bobcats (2-14).

It’s already off to a great start.

She was recognized as the Canada West player of the week, then on Thursday, BU’s female athlete of the month, along with male winner JJ Love, receiving the award at Smitty’s Sportsline Lounge.

“I think the best moments on this team are just being with the girls and being able to celebrate each other. I remember doing this for many players I’ve played with in the past who are kind of long gone now,” Burgar said.

“This still means a ton. I’ve never had this before and I’ve seen other players on my team work hard and get this honour from the school. To be recognized among not just my sport but the rest of the school is pretty special.”

Burgar joined the Bobcats before the cancelled 2020-21 season, then played four years. She started slowly, coming off the bench and figuring out her way as a hard-hitting but uncontrolled outside hitter who spent most of her life as a middle blocker.

She had a negative hitting percentage in her first season.

“I definitely think back to that girl and I definitely am a different person, obviously a different player,” Burgar said. “Passing was obviously a big struggle and learning how to control myself.

“I worked really hard at trying to do that over the years and I think that is the thing this year that I feel most proud of in my performance is … being reliable, not only someone that can score but put a ball in play that can cause trouble.”

It took time, but she certainly developed into setter Carly Thomson’s go-to hitter for the past two years, piling up 177 kills last year and adding 136 this season with four matches to go. She’s currently hitting a career-high .118, which may be low but makes sense when every opponent knows she’s getting a heavy volume of Brandon’s offence.

While she more or less hasn’t left the floor this season, she’s had plenty of nights that didn’t go her way and heard her name called at the moment no player wants to hear it — when a teammate steps into the substitution zone.

But if you watched closely through the years, she didn’t respond by hanging her head. She would pump her replacement up, give them a pointer or two and cheer them on from the bench.

Her attitude led to her being voted as a captain of this year’s squad, and her positivity and competitiveness have certainly rubbed off on a team that had a tendency to fold easily just two seasons ago.

And they could have done the same after falling behind 2-1 to UFV but instead rode Burgar’s electric offensive effort to bounce back and force a fifth set.

That night, she didn’t even record a kill in the first set but had seven in the third, en route to a 17-kill, four-error final tally. Of course, when Brooklyn Pratt stepped up and dug a heavy hit on match point, Thomson set Burgar for the pandemonium-inducing shot off the block and out of play.

That confidence and belief Burgar has carried throughout her career led a one-win team to believe and achieve the unthinkable.

“I think that’s a testament to the last couple of years and just being able to rebuild our team not only with talent but culture as well. That’s a testament to what (interim head coach) Kailan (Robinson’s) helped us build,” Burgar said.

“We never go into a weekend preparing to lose. There’s such a big buy-in that we have been building over the past couple of years. It totally feels different on the court, off the court, I think everyone’s just more dialled and prepared to be supportive regardless of the outcome.”

The Bobcats, who have been eliminated from playoff contention, will close the regular season at Thompson Rivers (10-6) next weekend.

Then, Burgar’s either heading to medical school — she applied at a couple of schools and is waiting to hear about potential interviews — or will try to land a professional volleyball contract overseas. Her older sister Jordyn, a former University of Calgary Dinos women’s hockey player, spent the 2023-24 season in the European Women’s Hockey League in Austria and recommended the experience of playing pro.

Either way, as her time as a Bobcat wraps up in eight days, she hopes a few parts of her game stay with the team.

“Just having a combination of working hard and being supportive, I think that’s always what I’ve tried to do on this team,” she said. “Leading through example, working hard on the court, off the court but working hard at being a good friend and teammate, being there for each other and getting through the hard times and celebrating all together.

“I’m hoping that legacy can continue.”

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