Team captain in 2002 ... enters the season nearing completion of her rehabilitation from last season’s ACL injury ... the team's top middle hitter ... a dependable player who has a lot of on-court experience ... a solid offensive player who doesn't make many mistakes ... a leader and role model for younger players.
2001: Played in 27 matches and 99 games ... missed the final seven matches of the season after suffering an ACL injury at Morningside (10/19/01) ... finished fourth on the team with 299 kills (3.02 kpg) ... had double-figure kills in 16 matches, including a career-high 21 versus Wayne State (9/8/01) ... had 21 kills and zero errors in 39 attempts (.538) in that match ... led the team with a .322 hitting percentage, the third-best single-season performance in UND history ... .316 hitting percentage in NCC matches ranked sixth in the conference ... finished with a team-high 85 blocks (22 solo, 63 assists), with a season-high eight at Minnesota-Crookston (10/2/01) ... voted as The Heart award winner by her teammates as the player who gives the most of herself to the program ... ranks second (.277) on the UND career hitting percentage list and sixth in both block assists (225) and total blocks (291).
2000: Played in 28 matches and 98 games ... recorded 259 kills (2.64 kpg) while hitting a team-high .268 ... had 115 digs (1.17 dpg) ... led UND with 28 solo blocks and 111 total blocks, ranking fifth in the NCC ... recorded double-figure kills in 12 matches ... reached double figures in digs three times, including a career-high 20 against Wayne State (9/9/00) ... also had 16 kills and a career-high six solo blocks in that same match... average of 0.85 block assists per game was the third best in UND history ... had at least five block assists in eight matches ... missed six matches with an ankle sprain.
1999: Played in 31 matches and 102 games ... 79 block assists led the team ... finished second on the team in both hitting percentage (.214) and solo blocks (16) ... eight block assists versus Wayne State (9/12/99) was a UND record for a three-game match ... finished the season with 141 kills (1.38 kpg).
High School: A 1999 graduate of United South Central High ... was a four-time letterwinner in track and field, three-time in both volleyball and basketball ... earned all-state volleyball honors as a senior ... recipient of the Minnesota State High School League's Academics, Arts and Athletics Award.
Personal: Born March 7, 1981 ... has a 3.91 GPA as a nursing major ... named to the NCC All-Academic team as a sophomore and a junior ... daughter of David and Marilyn Birk.
Birk's Career Statistics |
Year |
MP/GP |
Att |
Kill |
K/Gm |
E |
Pct |
A |
A/Gm |
SA |
SA/Gm |
SE |
RE |
Dig |
D/Gm |
BS |
BA |
BA/Gm |
BE |
1999 |
31/102 |
4711 |
141 |
1.38 |
53 |
.214 |
14 |
0.14 |
3 |
0.03 |
6 |
7 |
32 |
0.31 |
16 |
79 |
0.93 |
31 |
2000 |
28/98 |
682 |
259 |
2.64 |
76 |
.268 |
3 |
0.03 |
13 |
0.13 |
30 |
11 |
115 |
1.17 |
28 |
83 |
1.13 |
18 |
2001 |
27/99 |
706 |
299 |
3.02 |
72 |
.322 |
5 |
0.05 |
7 |
0.07 |
8 |
10 |
58 |
0.59 |
22 |
63 |
0.86 |
10 |
Totals |
86/299 |
1799 |
699 |
2.34 |
201 |
.277 |
22 |
0.07 |
23 |
0.08 |
44 |
28 |
205 |
0.69 |
66 |
225 |
0.97 |
59 |