Volleyball Welcomes Burrell and Wallenberger
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami is excited to welcome outside hitter Taylor Burrell and middle blocker Bridget Wallenberger as the two newest members of the Hurricanes volleyball program.
The two newest Canes both enrolled at Miami for the Spring 2018 semester, with Burrell graduating a semester early from high school and Wallenberger transferring from Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“Any time you get a head start in the process of getting familiar with the systems and mechanics and getting to know your new teammates is invaluable,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “Having Taylor and Bridget enroll early is a wonderful opportunity for both them and the program. We ask these young women to make so many changes in their behavior, both on and off the court, that every additional day they have with us, and us with them, will make a huge difference.”
An early enrollee, Burrell was a four-year letter winner at West Boca High School, helping the Bulls win three consecutive district titles. A team captain as a junior and senior, Burrell was named first team all-county in 2016 and 2017 by the Palm Beach Post, finishing her career with 522 kills and a .343 attack percentage in 202 sets played.
“Taylor’s athleticism is already a known commodity,” Gandara said. “What we’re quickly learning about her is her ability as a learner and maturity as a teammate are pretty special, as well.”
As a senior, Burrell tallied 255 kills and 110 digs en route to her second straight team MVP honor. She was named district player of the year following a 2017 season in which she led the Bulls to a 22-7 record and an appearance in the regional semifinals.
“I decided to come early because I knew I could adjust to Miami’s system early during the spring and get in extra training before the season comes around in the fall,” Burrell said. “It’ll make the season an easier transition for me and I’m loving it so far.”
A native of Boca Raton Fla., Burrell intends to have a double major in entrepreneurship and engineering or public health and aspires to one day run her own company or to enter the biomedical engineering field.
“I chose Miami because it’s close to home and I knew there was so much I could achieve here,” she said. “My main goal is to obtain my master’s degree and hopefully go on to achieve my doctorate all while excelling athletically on the court, as well.”
Wallenberger, who will major in nursing, comes to Miami after playing two impressive seasons at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While at Milwaukee, she was a two-time All-Horizon League First Team selection and was named the 2016 Horizon League Freshman of the Year.
“At Miami, I get to be part of a competitive volleyball program, work with a great coaching staff and study in a strong nursing program,” Wallenberger said. “The girls have been super welcoming and the coaches have helped me get acclimated to the school and the volleyball program.”
After playing in 28 matches for a total of 106 sets for the Panthers as a freshman, the Carpentersville, Ill., native saw an increase in both playing time and productivity as a sophomore. Wallenberger recorded more than 300 kills in each of her two collegiate seasons, coming to Coral Gables with a total of 725 (417 as a sophomore) and an average of 3.33 kills per set. She also has been successful with her serve, totaling 43 aces in her first two collegiate seasons, and amassed 48 solo blocks and 185 block assists. Wallenberger was the Panthers’ most consistent blocker, leading the team with 1.05 blocks per set in 2017.
“Bridget provides us two things we haven’t had since my time here at Miami: significant depth at the middle blocker position and a unique ability to attack off of one foot,” Gandara said. “Both of these qualities will help us immensely and we’re looking forward to getting her caught up with our system and techniques this spring.”
Burrell and Wallenberger will be joined by fall signees Chloe Brown, Emily Damon and Maya Sullivan ahead of the 2018 volleyball season.
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