Meet Lily Mae Buerkle, #2 2026 Recruit

<!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":267809,"width":311,"height":435,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/328-JKB_6352.jpg"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/328-JKB_6352.jpg?w=731" alt="" class="wp-image-267809" width="311" height="435" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Photo: Jenn Bowers</em></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Name</em>: [player_tooltip player_id='267157' first='Lily' last='Mae Buerkle']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>School</em>: McDaniel High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Club Team</em>: OJVA 15 Gold</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Height</em>: 5'10″</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Position</em>: Setter/Right-Side Hitter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Buerkle is an incredibly well-rounded six-rotation player with the ability to step anywhere on the court and excel. She can quite literally do it all and can do all of it at a high level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although she can do it all, she has really honed in on her setting abilities over the past two years, and it shows. Her touch on the ball is incredibly soft, and her release is quick. She plays with confidence and finesse, exceptionally calm and smooth. You instantly notice the maturity she takes the court with, playing well above the level of your typical freshman. She has impeccable decision-making skills, a high IQ on the court, and sheer natural athletic ability. She brings leadership and infectious competitive, yet positive energy to the court. She has the ability to bring the best out of her teammates. However, standing at 5'10", she can hit with the best of them. She has a great rhythm to her approach, her attacking smooth, consistent, well-placed, and often deadly. She puts up a solid block on the right side as well and has the ability to shut down what is oftentimes the best hitter on the court, the outside attacker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This past high school season, Buerkle played with McDaniel on their varsity team, the only freshman to make the squad. She was rarely taken off the court, setting across the back row and hitting in the front. She was a significant reason for their success, helping them finish 3rd in the PIL and advancing to round one of State. This was one of the Mountain Lions most successful seasons, making it to State for the first time in 13 years. And Buerkle had a lot to do with that. For her play, she was awarded PIL Honorable Mention. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I was very fortunate to coach Lily Mae for two years on our OJVA 14-1 Gold team. It was so much fun to watch her grow and improve as a setter/hitter and a leader. She has a very special talent of being able to hear what a coach is saying, and put it into place immediately. She is so smart about her placement of the ball, both as a setter and as a hitter. Her work ethic is a still a constant example to her teammates, who love playing with her. When the team got into some tough situations, Lily Mae often played as if to say, 'Climb on my back, I'll carry you over the finish line.' All of these attributes combines makes her a very complete volleyball player.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>~ From OJVA 14-1 coach Marty Mozzochi</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I had the chance to email back and forth with Buerkle, and she answered some questions for us:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1.&nbsp;<strong>Why did you choose to play volleyball?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've played many different sports besides volleyball, including gymnastics, track, taekwondo, and basketball. But the speed and dynamics of volleyball captivated me. When I was little, I enjoyed playing because it was something new. Learning new things was my favorite, especially when I was having fun with my teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As I've gotten older and more experienced, my understanding and love of the game has only grown. I love the intricacy and strategy involved in the game. I'm a very competitive person, and on the court, I can use that trait to my advantage. To me, the thing that sets volleyball apart from other sports is its complexity. The progressive nature of skill building means that there is always something new to learn, no matter what level you are at.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":267837,"width":295,"height":443,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/IMG_3423.jpeg"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/IMG_3423.jpeg?w=640" alt="" class="wp-image-267837" width="295" height="443" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Photo: Player</em></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. <strong>What is your favorite volleyball memory?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are too many to choose just one, but the thing that all of my favorite moments have in common is that each of the best games were a time when everyone on my team was playing to their absolute potential. When every play and position is coordinated, and all 6 players fit together perfectly and can emphasize their best skills, those moments are when you can push the boundaries of your abilities and surprise yourself by the things you can accomplish. When everyone is at their best, it feels like magic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3.&nbsp;<strong>What is the best piece of advice you have been given?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A piece of advice that I use every single time I step onto the court is this: True growth often happens through failure. Everyone is going to make mistakes, and sometimes that's how you figure out what works. Everyone is going to mess up at times, but the important part is how you take that mistake and learn from it. Sometimes it's hard to remember this, especially during a hard practice session, but I understand that it's during these tough times that you can learn the most and grow to be a better player. Every day is a learning day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another tip that's really helped me is to take as many chances as you can to play with people better than you. Being around players with more experience gives you an opportunity to push your skills beyond where you might normally be comfortable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4.&nbsp;<strong>What are your goals for your volleyball career?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My goal for volleyball is to play at the highest possible level and compete, wherever that may take me. For this season and beyond, I hope to continue to grow and push myself out of my comfort zone. I want to go into every situation with confidence and a growth mindset, knowing that I always have something new to learn, both on and off the court. Volleyball is such an amazing sport, and I hope to keep playing for as long as I can.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->