Grand Valley State’s Marti Corby is only a junior, but in her first two seasons she has taken the nation by storm.
As a sophomore, Corby was named the NSCAA Division II Player of the Year, becoming only the third GV student-athlete to accomplish the feat in program history. She is already a two-time NSCAA All-American which is a phenomenal accomplishment.
Last year the young Laker was voted onto the Daktronics All-America First Team for the second consecutive season, she earned a Capital One Academic All-America Second Team honor, was chosen to the All-NCAA Tournament Team, was selected to the All-GLIAC First Team, garnered Daktronics and NSCAA All-Midwest Region First Team selections, received a Capital One Academic All-District 4 clip and was nominated for the Division II Honda Woman Athlete of the Year Award.
“To be successful it takes not just practice with the team, but individual work,” Corby told the Grand Valley Lanthorn. “It’s going to the field on the off days to practice dribbling. It’s what you’re doing when you aren’t with the team.”
Due in large part to Corby’s hard work, Grand Valley won its second consecutive D-II National Championship in 2014. Over the course of the season she tied for eighth in the country in assists (13), tied for 18th nationally in points (37), tied for second on the team in goals scored (12) and totaled 97 shots in 26 games, starting 25.
“She is always having fun,” Lewis Robinson, coach of the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors W20s team Corby played for, told the Grand Rapids Press. “She is probably the most likeable kid on the team that all the players seem to revolve around. At the same time, as soon as she gets on the field, she is always the most serious player and most competitive kid, which is what takes her to the top level.”
With Corby around for two more seasons at Grand Valley State, expect the Lakers to be in contention for two more national titles. Anything is possible with a player of her caliber.
