MORGANTOWN – Morgantown High 2021 graduate Alayna Corwin was the first NCAA Division-I signee in MHS volleyball history as she joined Marshall following her senior season.
Alayna was selected as captain of the 2020 Class AAA all-state second team after posting 338 kills on a 38.5 hitting percentage, 289 digs, and 375 receptions during her senior season with MHS. She helped lead the Mohigans to the state semifinals with a 24-8 record in 2020.
Corwin played two seasons with the Thundering Herd in Huntington before entering the transfer portal and finding a new home at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan.
“I played at St. Francis in middle school before going to Morgantown High and had a few different coaches there,” she said. “I moved on to Marshall and enjoyed my time there, but I felt like I wanted to make more of an impact on the court. Michigan Tech allowed that and has a good mechanical engineering program, which was important for my decision.”
Last season (2023) with MTU, Corwin appeared in all 31 matches the Huskies played, finishing third on the team in total sets (117) while acting as a defensive talisman for her club. Corwin finished third on the team in digs with 296 and posted a .955 serve-reception percentage with only 18 errors on 403 attempts.
Thus far in 2024, Corwin has helped the Huskies to a 12-10 (6-6) overall record and improved her reception percentage to .960.
“I realized my sophomore year that I really wanted to dive deep into mechanical engineering and make a bigger impact on a team,” Corwin said. “I redshirted my freshman year at Marshall and have nothing but great things to say about my time there. Along with the academics, the coaching staff is incredible and was a big reason I joined the MTU program.”
Alayna says she didn’t always think she would play volleyball at the next level. As most find when they begin something new, she didn’t believe she was very good at all.
“I started playing volleyball more in sixth grade, and I was horrible,” she joked. “I ended up playing club that winter at Penn-Highlands in Uniontown, and when my seventh-grade year came around at St. Francis, I saw a good improvement in my game.”
Around then, Corwin says she thought she could genuinely pursue a future in volleyball and play collegiately.
Houghton, Michigan, is a 14-hour drive from Morgantown, and Corwin says she misses being home. However, she is so happy to see the growth of the volleyball community around the area when she comes to visit.
“Whenever I come back home, it’s so great seeing how many people have started playing the game and how far volleyball is reaching now,” she said. “I’m always playing in some co-ed league when I go home and going to an open gym somewhere to play or talk to coaches and players. I’ve spoken to some local players there, which is essential to helping grow the game. I love seeing all the coaches and players I miss because we had such a close-knit community. We played University close every year but were all friends off the court and during the offseason. I’m very proud that I can be someone that the volleyball community in Morgantown can look up to, and I’ll always do what I can to support it.”
Looking forward, Corwin hopes to finish this year strong with the Huskies and build toward her final year of collegiate volleyball next season.
“Coming in as a transfer was tough, but my teammates and coaches all helped me acclimate fairly quickly,” she said. “My continual goal is always to be the best teammate and leader I can possibly be. I was elected as a captain early on, and that isn’t something I take lightly. Whether on or off the court, I pride myself on my work ethic and want to be an example for everyone that I can.”
