Amarillo High’s coach helps star player reignite love for volleyball
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AMARILLO — Haleigh Burns had a strong campaign in her first season as Amarillo High’s head volleyball coach.
Burns led the Lady Sandies to a District 3-5A title and a berth in the Regional Semifinals, but the most important accomplishment of her head coaching debut at AHS may have come off the court. After senior Sienna Cavalier dealt with internal struggles and almost gave up on playing volleyball at the next level, Burns reignited Cavalier’s confidence and passion ahead of her final season at AHS.
Cavalier was one of Amarillo High’s key contributors in 2024 and even earned recognition on the Amarillo Globe-News Texas Panhandle Super Team as “Outside Hitter of the Year”.
To cap off an impressive senior season, Cavalier signed with Lubbock Christian University on National Signing Day. Before putting pen to paper, the future LCU student athlete thanked her head coach for helping her reach the next chapter in her volleyball career.
Confronting struggles head-on
After her junior season, Cavalier was unsure of the route her volleyball career would take.
Despite being a solid player and a team captain for the Lady Sandies, Cavalier had begun to drift away from the game she once loved.
“For a second, I kind of lost my love for the sport,” Cavalier said on National Signing Day. “I didn’t know if I wanted to play college volleyball anymore and that’s something that really hit me hard, because I’ve always wanted to do that. But, at one point, it just got me down and low.”
Fortunately for Cavalier, and AHS, things changed when Burns became Amarillo High’s coach.
After five seasons at Randall, Burns entered the Lady Sandies’ program as a well-established coach in the area. When Burns saw a talented player in her new program at a crossroads in her career, the veteran volleyball coach stepped in and became an important mentor for Cavalier.
“(Burns) came in and really lifted my spirits up,” Cavalier said. “Speaking life into me, still getting onto me when a bad day would happen and just, getting to the root of all the problems that I had and just bringing it all to life. She’s really supported me throughout everything that I’ve gone through this year.”
Rediscovering a passion for the game
Burns’ encouragement seemed to work for Cavalier, who bought in and helped Amarillo High deliver another stellar season.
To help build her relationship with the star player initially, though, Burns had to demonstrate to Cavalier that the duo’s bond extended beyond the volleyball court.
“We had to put in a lot of work to build our relationship,” Burns said. “Her as a senior and as captain and a leader, somebody who had just built a really good reputation for herself, I had to come in and I knew she was one I had to get to know pretty early on. I think just this year, and the relationship we built, I truly am blessed to be her coach. It was really important for her to understand that I cared about her as a kid and as a person and not just a volleyball player and what she could do for our program. I think that meant a lot to her, and I think kind of helped win her over.”
With her reignited passion for the sport and guidance from one of the best coaches in the area, Cavalier had a remarkable senior season, accumulating 601 kills, 327 digs and 34 aces. The outside hitter’s efforts earned Cavalier recognition as the District 3-5A MVP in addition to a spot on the TGCA All-State Team.
Burns spoke at Cavalier’s signing day ceremony, saying she would have loved to coach the standout volleyball player for more than one season. The moment was special for Cavalier, who credited her family, teammates, and of course, her head coach, but Burns also felt some of the emotions after hearing Cavalier highlight the first-year coach’s impact on her life and career.
“Honestly, that’s the biggest reason why I do what I do,” Burns said. “(It’s) what keeps me coming back every year to do the job that I do. It’s kids like her and things like that that just motivate me to keep doing it. I love watching kids sign to go to the next level and play the sport that they love. Honestly, all the credit to her and her buying in.”
While Cavalier’s time as a volleyball player at Amarillo High may be over, the former Lady Sandies’ standout will start the next chapter of her career in the fall as she begins her freshman season at LCU.
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