Morgantown volleyball standout Corwin follows senior season with commitment to Marshall
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (BVM) — National Signing Day is an exciting and momentous moment for any up-and-coming high school athlete looking to make the jump from the prep ranks to the collegiate level. While it has become a national spectacle in some cases with elaborate commitment announcements and televised decisions, the traditional way of athletes signing their National Letters of Intent in front of a crowd of family, friends and teammates is perhaps the more meaningful. This is how Morgantown High School volleyball star Alayna Corwin committed to her school in a straightforward manner in a small ceremony at the local Italian bistro Colasante’s with a pair of other Mohigans making their commitments.
“It’s something that I’ve dreamed of for a really long time ever since I wanted to play college volleyball,” Corwin said. “You kind of imagine sitting in that chair with the Morgantown High background and it was just a matter of what school I was going to sign to. It was awesome. It was a dream. It was everything I could’ve imagined and more.”
While she was not alone in celebrating the day, Corwin was still able to feel the significance of her decision as she was the lone Morgantown athlete going to a Division I program in the state, committing to the Marshall Thundering Herd. For Corwin, it was a culmination of a strong career with the Mohigans.
As a junior, Corwin established herself as one of the state’s best players from the outside hitter position. Corwin led the Mohigans with 63 aces and 308 total kills while also finishing second on the team with 249 digs in the team’s 41 matches. The team would finish the season with a 20-19-2 record and would lose in the quarterfinals of the Class AAA state championships to top-seeded Musselman.
For her individual efforts, Corwin would earn second team all-state honors.
“It was awesome,” Corwin said. “I had no idea I was on second-team all state. … It kind of put me in perspective of the rest of the girls in West Virginia and I was kind of like, ‘Oh, I’m OK in volleyball. I kind of got this down.’ It really showed me I could definitely play at a high level and it was especially a great honor to be among the best and be called one of the best as well.”
Prior to her senior season, Corwin would verbally commit to Marshall. With her college decision made, Corwin brought her focus to the volleyball court and was again able to show herself as a force.
Corwin would finish the season with 253 kills, which led the Mohigans, along with being second on the team in digs with 222 and adding 32 aces. The Mohigans were one of the strongest teams in the state during Corwin’s final season finishing with a 22-6 record, an Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Championship, a sectional championship and regional championship.
“It meant so much,” Corwin said. “It felt so good. Winning OVAC meant so much because obviously this is my last season at Morgantown High School and that program has done absolutely so much for me the last four years.”
The wins would send Morgantown back to the state tournament, this time facing a reduced field due to the pandemic. With a first-round draw against five-seed Bridgeport, Morgantown, the No. 4 seed, looked to move past the quarterfinal round this time around.
The Mohigans wouldn’t be denied this year. Morgantown would jump ahead in the match, winning the first set 26-24 before dropping the second set to Bridgeport 25-17. Coming back with a vengeance, the Mohigans would win their next two sets 25-22 and 25-15, setting up a rematch against top-seeded Musselman, this time in the state semifinals.
Unfortunately for the Mohigans, they were outmatched by the Applemen, losing in four sets. Although the season ended earlier than the team had hoped, all the team had achieved in the season, including advancing further in the state playoffs, was meaningful for Corwin during her final season.
“I’m so proud of my team and how hard we worked this season,” Corwin said. “We did above and beyond anything I expected for my senior year. It was a really good way to go out.”
Now looking forward to her time at Marshall, Corwin is excited for both her athletics as well as her academics. As a four-time member of the OVAC all-academic team, Corwin has a passion in the classroom similar to that on the court and will study biomedical engineering during her time with the Herd, something that further drew her interest to the program.
“I’m definitely up for the challenge,” Corwin said. “Obviously engineering is going to be a task especially playing volleyball at the DI level. … I push myself in the classroom and I’m definitely ready for the challenge. Yes, it’s going to be a challenge, but it’s not worth it if it’s not tough.”
Corwin will be switching roles for her time with the Herd compared to her last few years with the Mohigans. At 5-foot-8, Corwin would be considered undersized for an outside hitter in college, especially at the Division I level, so instead she will play libero/defensive specialist for the Thundering Herd, a position she has experience with on her Pennsylvania-based club volleyball team, Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball.
“That’s the role I need to fill and that’s what I do and I love doing it,” Corwin said of the position.
Marshall seems equally excited about Corwin’s potential for the program moving forward.
“Alayna is one of the hardest working and most competitive kids we will have in our program,” Thundering Herd head volleyball coach Ari Aganus said in a university press release. “We strive to keep West Virginia kids in West Virginia and we got lucky that she’s one of the best! Her love for the game and hustle to be the best version of herself in every aspect of the game will push our program forward instantly.”
As the only member of her recruiting class to hail from the state, Corwin will look to bring similar success she had with Morgantown to the in-state institution.
“There’s West Virginia pride in it,” Corwin said. “I am proud to be from West Virginia and I’m beyond excited to represent down in Huntington. It feels really, really good to come from Morgantown and being an in-state girl and representing an in-state program.”
With plenty of athletic ability and experience, Corwin will bring excitement for the Herd fanbase when she arrives on campus for the Herd next year.
