See the new facilities Burlington High School athletes will be using
Burlington High School opened its new building on Wednesday, Aug. 26 and see the indoor athletic resources. The first game is set for Friday, Aug. 28.
For the first time in over six years, Burlington High School’s indoor sport athletes finally get to experience a true home game.
The first team to play an official match in the new gym was the Burlington girls volleyball team. The Seahorses hosted Colchester on Friday, Aug. 28, which coincided with the first day of the fall sports season in Vermont. The home crowd was treated to a victory with the Seahorses earning a 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-18) sweep of their neighbor.
“I think this first win is really going to set us up for the rest of the season,” senior Harper Gutheim said.
The win is more meaningful to Burlington after finishing the 2025 season with a 2-14 record. Last year, Burlington was a younger team with no seniors. In 2026, everyone returned and now the varsity roster is just upperclassmen.
That experience showed on the court. Colchester’s young squad put up some hefty fight in the second and third sets, only for Burlington to push ahead late. The Seahorses ended the third set on a 12-4 run.
The new gym is helping grow the program as well, with more girls trying out for volleyball this fall. There are so many players, Burlington is fielding two JV teams.
While the school was being renovated Burlington’s volleyball and basketball teams were forced to practice elsewhere and played home games at the University of Vermont.
The volleyball team practiced at Edmunds Middle School, but that facility had its own challenges.
“We didn’t have enough space to get through our whole serving routine,” coach Cassidy Tedeschi said. “The ceilings were very low, so it’s good to finally get good and high passes (now.) The space is a big win for us.”
The girls volleyball team did not use the main Patrick Gym court, but instead used some of the side courts. That meant no bleachers were pulled out and less fans in attendance. There was a decent sized group of Burlington High School students in the stands amping the team up.
“The seniors this year really started off great and set us up for the rest of the season,” Gutheim said.
The Burlington girls volleyball team will play its next home game on Wednesday, Sept. 2 against Middlebury.
Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
