With Coach Kim Travis stepping down after 11 seasons at the helm of Pierce volleyball, the Bears have turned to a familiar face in longtime teacher and coach Lisa Burnum to lead the team into a new era.
Burnum, a South Dakota native, has an impressive volleyball pedigree which includes playing on a state championship team in high school before going on to play at Dakota State University.
In terms of coaching, Burnum has 20 years of experience on which to draw having put in stints at the varsity level in Oroville and Williams as well as four years directing the Bears JV squad.
Most recently, however, Burnums experience has been in middle school, specifically at Johnson Junior High in Arbuckle, which plays to her advantage in some ways, but also creates perhaps her biggest challenge.
” Its been 14 years since I last coached varsity volleyball, which is a challenge, but I have coached all these girls at one point already. They are fun, and a nice bunch. Im most looking forward to being with them,” Burnum said.
As Burnum enters her inaugural season as the varsity coach at Pierce, another first will be coaching with her husband Scott, who is heading up the Bears JV squad.
Pierce began practicing this week and will open play in Orland on Aug. 13 with a match against the Trojans.–
