Ema-Lee Burke Ema-Lee Burke 5'3" | DS/L Thunderbird | 2026 State AZ identifies her defensive presence as a combination of scrappiness, calmness, and communication, particularly in fast-paced, high-pressure moments. She takes pride in staying stoic while being vocal, helping her team stay organized and in control. Her current focus is consistency, which she is intentionally building through coachability, repetition, and full-effort reps. Her goals are clear and balanced, to improve, compete, win, and earn recruitment opportunities. Off the court, Ema-Lee brings a sense of empathy and emotional awareness that translates into strong team chemistry, along with an adventurous personality that reflects confidence and curiosity.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Ema-Lee Burke Ema-Lee Burke 5'3" | DS/L Thunderbird | 2026 State AZ anchors the back row with scrappy defense and calm control in high-intensity moments. She takes pride in staying stoic, communicating clearly, and helping her team manage the pace of the game. Her focus this season is consistency, built through coachability, full effort in every rep, and repetition that turns habits into reliability. Her goals are simple and honest, have fun, win, improve, and get recruited. Off the court, Ema-Lee brings strong emotional intelligence. She describes herself as empathetic and highly aware of the people around her, while also being adventurous, drawn to hiking, water sports, and anything that pushes her comfort zone. That combination of steadiness and curiosity shows up in how she competes.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Ema-Lee Burke Ema-Lee Burke 5'3" | DS/L Thunderbird | 2026 State AZ was a name that will undoubtedly stick with us from this showcase. She stood out not only for her accuracy and consistency in serve receive and defense, but also for the contagious energy she brought to the court—energy that elevated everyone around her. Her ability to read hitters and anticipate attacks was exceptional, allowing her to position herself early and make difficult defensive plays look easy.

Ema-Lee plays fearlessly, never backing down from a hard swing and committing fully to every ball. Her all-out effort mentality, combined with strong instincts and composure in the back row, made her a reliable and impactful presence throughout the event. She’s the type of defender who changes the momentum of matches and leaves a lasting impression with her grit, confidence, and relentless pursuit of every point.

Ema is a top level libero from the 4A class and has really shined this season for the Titans. She is currently averaging 4.9 digs a set and is currently 4th in 4A in total digs.

Being a libero is a tough gig but one thing Ema does is she thrives in chaos! When things are getting crazy on the court and things are going 100 MPH she just seems so calm and poised and just a relaxed presence on the floor. Her defense is great as she positions herself early in the attack and keeps a low and athletic base to move toward the ball. She passes cleanly and is always following the ball to provide coverage as well.

Her serve and serve receive game is also top level! Her serve might not be the most aggressive but she has great control with it and the ability to move it short or deep at command. The opposing team is more out of system then in system when she serves as well. As for her serve receive, she reads the serve early and make clean contact often for a ball that is perfect for a setter to run the offense. She seems very comfortable taking seam balls and has no issue communicating with the other girls in the back row.

Her game translate so well, and is very easy to have her on the floor as the libero. We see her as one of the better liberos from this senior class and an easy pick for one of our all-stars.