ARLINGTON, Texas – California Baptist University softball player Kalena Burns has been named Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President, and University of Texas at Arlington volleyball player Alexis Bull has been selected as the WAC SAAC Vice President for the 2024-25 academic year.
 
Since its implementation in 1999, the WAC SAAC has been an essential component in the conference’s governance structure as well as a strong voice for student-athletes’ well-being at all levels. The group provides recommendations and positions on specific conference and NCAA proposed legislation, and it addresses national issues that may have an effect on the well-being of all student-athletes. In addition, its members provide recommendations for WAC championships in order to enhance the student-athlete experience for all sports. Another objective which the committee strives to obtain is strengthening and improving communication and relationships between athletes, campus administrators and coaches.
 
Burns is set to compete as a graduate student first baseman for CBU after transferring from the University of Iowa prior to the 2024 campaign. Burns served as one of two softball representatives on the CBU SAAC and held an executive board leadership position as the director of student-athlete wellbeing during the 2023-24 academic year. Burns was named to the 2023-24 WAC All-Academic Team and the 2024 All-WAC Second Team after batting .363 with 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, a 1.018 slugging percentage and 16 runs scored for the Lancers last season.
 
Bull enters her sophomore year at UTA after appearing in 15 matches as a freshman in 2023. Bull hit at a .240 clip over 37 sets played and averaged just under 0.50 blocks per set during her debut season with the Mavericks, who posted a 21-11 record (9-7 WAC) and reached the round of 16 in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). Bull will be the second straight UTA athlete to serve as the WAC SAAC Vice President, preceded by softball standout Morgan Westbrook in 2023-24.