MELK, Austria – Former Flagler College volleyball standout
Justine Burkhardt (St. Augustine, Fla./Winthrop U.) has taken her volleyball skills to the professional level and is playing in the Austrian Volleyball League for SG UVF Hagebau Schuberth Melk.
The team from Melk recently won a playoff match against McDonald’s Supervolley Weis 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 28-26). She came to the team as the regular season wound up in January. The regular season runs from September through January and the playoff season extends into April. The team is 6-1 though the fist half of the playoffs.
Burkhardt ranks sixth in the Bundesliga Damen Aufstiegsrunde (Federal League (Ladies) Aufstiegsrunde) with 87 points and is tied for third in attack points with 72. She is fourth in attack percentage with a .386 mark.
Burkhardt was picked up by Melk after playing on a European Exposure Tour sponsored by a company called Bring it Promotions which helps place American players on foreign teams. She is living in Melk with her housing and food paid for.
She is the lone American on the roster. “They are all from Austria, one from Germany and me,” said Burkhardt.
One of the biggest changes for Burkhardt is the game is played under international rules and it is a professional game. “When you sub in,” said Burkhardt, “you have to hold a card of the number of the player you are replacing. There are timeouts after the eighth and 16th points which can make the games a little longer.
The competition is comparable to what Burhardt has already seen at the Division II level. But, it has been getting used to new teammates and a new coach as well as a new language, country and culture that are taking some time to get used to.
“I have been with the girls at Flagler for so long it was strange to jump in to a whole new team chemistry,” said Burkhardt. “I have always been a 'go with the flow' type of person, so that has definitely worked in my favor. I am just here to enjoy every little experience, on and off the court.”
She has also had the chance to visit some cities in and around Austria, like Vienna and Salzburg. Burkhardt has also visited: Budapest, Hungary; Krakow, Poland; Venice, Italy; and, Munich, Germany.
Although she is over 5,000 miles away from home and plays in front of some spirited crowds, Burkhardt misses her family and friends. “Through Flagler, I acquired a huge support system,” said Burkhardt. “(The program) has helped me physically and mentally. The friends I have made in college have given me amazing support and encouragement to play overseas, and nothing compares to the fans at Flagler.”
Burkhardt enjoyed a stellar career at Flagler. She helped lead the team, in its inaugural year in the Peach Belt Conference, to a league title, a regional championship and a national semifinal appearance. An all-region and all-conference last fall, Burkhardt holds just about every offensive school record at Flagler.