Katy Corbett left an indelible mark at Tallulah Falls School as one of the top volleyball and basketball players in school history when she graduated in the Spring of 2021. After signing with Mercer to play beach volleyball, there was no doubt she was going to leave a legacy just as strong when her career came to a close.
May marked the end of the road for Corbett, who can begin reflecting on the remarkable accomplishments she’s had for the Bears. It wasn’t at all easy, specifically in making the jump from indoor to beach volleyball.
“Switching from indoor to beach volleyball came with a lot of adjustments—both physically and mentally,” says Katy. “Skill-wise, a lot of the contacts in beach are different. From how you set the ball, the timing of your approach, to the way you defend—all of it feels different than indoors. In indoor, you’ve got six players and each person has their specific role. But in beach, it’s just two people, and you have to be able to do everything—pass, set, hit, serve, defend. I was an outside hitter in indoor and played six rotations, so I was comfortable passing and hitting. But setting was something I really hadn’t done much, so that was a big learning curve. I also had to develop a top-spin serve and learn how to pull on defense—two things I hadn’t done before. It took a lot of time, hard work, and great coaching to build those skills, but I’m proud of the progress I made. Mentally, beach volleyball is probably the toughest sport I’ve played. You’re involved in almost every play, so it’s easy to overthink or get caught up in mistakes. I really had to grow in confidence and learn how to reset quickly. We call it having a “Goldfish Mentality”—forgetting the last play and focusing on the next point. That mindset was huge for me.”
Corbett, along with teammate Nicole O’Mara earned the Top Flight Award by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The duo was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team, earning 28 victories (23 in straight sets). Corbett and O’Mara had three win streaks of at least five matches, including 11 straight. They had a pair of wins over nationally-ranked foes, highlighted by a win over #18 Georgia State. The team’s overall 24 wins is a program record (14-year history). Furthermore, Corbett and fellow Mercer standout Liv Diaz were selected back in November to compete in the AVCA Beach National Championships. Often, Corbett was on nationally-televised broadcasts, playing on ESPN and similar networks.
“When I was a freshman, playing on ESPN or against top-ranked teams felt really intimidating,” adds Katy. “I’d be going up against girls who were a few years older, more experienced, and then there’s the thought of people watching from all over—it definitely got in my head sometimes. But as I got older and more confident, that started to fade. By the time I was a senior, I honestly didn’t even think about the ESPN cameras. When playing ranked teams I started focusing more on things I could control: playing with confidence, giving full effort, and bringing energy. Nicole and I had one of our biggest wins against #18 ranked Georgia State.”
Framed Print (11×14) – Katy Corbett College Spotlight
Framed Print (11×14) – Katy Corbett College Spotlight
That victory is a big core memory for Katy, as are the accolades and honors that came along the way. But she has a specific memory/moment that stands above the rest.
“My favorite memory actually just happened at conference this year,” she tells. “We were in our second match of the day playing Coastal Carolina. My partner Nicole and I had won the first set, lost the second, and were playing the third to 15. Even though our team had already lost the dual, we still had to finish our match. We were down 10-14 in the third, and both teams were on the sidelines watching. Right before the switch at 11-14, I got a cramp in my calf and we had to call a timeout so our trainer could help. Somehow, we came back and won 16-14. It was such a crazy and fun moment—definitely the most exciting match I’ve ever played.”
Another great memory for Corbett came when getting the opportunity to play at nationals.
“Getting to go to Nationals for the Pairs Tournament was one of my favorite experiences at Mercer,” admits Katy. “My partner Liv and I earned a spot during the preseason of my senior year in a bid tournament, and we competed against some of the top pairs in the country. The level of competition was super high. It was such an honor to be there and represent our team, and we won two of our matches. Liv and I were the first pair in Mercer history to participate in the AVAC Pairs Tournament.”
With stories that’ll last a lifetime and a career win total of 69 – tops in Mercer history – Katy has left a legacy at yet another school. So now, the question is – what’s next for her to accomplish?
“Next up, I’ll be heading to Augusta University in Athens for my Master of Science in Nursing,” says Katy. “It is a 16-month program that begins this fall. Upon completion, and I plan to work in a critical care unit and eventually go back to school to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and earn a Doctorate of Nursing in Anesthesia. Right now, I don’t have any formal plans for volleyball, but I’m definitely not done playing. One of the great things about beach volleyball is that it doesn’t have to end after college—you can keep competing in tournaments, and I hope to do just that with some of my former teammates. The sport has been such a huge part of my life, and I honestly don’t see myself ever fully stepping away from it. Eventually, I’d love to help grow the beach volleyball community in North Georgia by running camps or clinics so more people can experience just how special this sport is.”
Corbett set school marks (at the time of graduation) at TFS with 852 career kills and 981 digs, and added 91 assists, 27 blocks, and 113 aces. She was twice named BLITZ Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, and was a 2-time All-Region selection. She guided the Lady Indians to two Sweet 16 runs.
Women’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Lola Gitlin
Lola Gitlin won the 3,000-meter race by more than 12 seconds at Cornell’s Southern Tier Invitational as she clocked a time of 10:37.55. Gitlin’s time is good for 24th nationally.
Women’s Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week – Lily Seyfert
Lily Seyfert placed third in the shot put at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational with a mark of 12.72 meters, which is just shy of her top mark of 12.78 this season (17th in Division III). Seyfert also finished third in the weight throw at 16.20 meters and ranks eighth in the country after that performance.
Men’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Raphael Campanile
Raphael Campanile placed fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 4.50 meters at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational on Saturday and currently ranks 25th in Division III with that performance.
HONOR ROLL
Matthew Zenker totaled 44 points on 18-of-31 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds and three steals in a 1-1 week for Ithaca. Zenker netted 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting in a 101-72 win over RIT and followed up with 24 points and eight rebounds as he shot 10-of-15 from the floor in a loss to Union.
Junior forward McNamara delivered a pair of strong performances despite setbacks against RIT and Union. Against the Tigers, she was flawless from the floor, going 3-for-3 while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. She carried that momentum into the Union matchup, coming just shy of her first career double-double with nine points and eight boards.
Shenandoah University men’s volleyball freshman Simon Bellenbaum was named the ODAC’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The York, Pennsylvania, native accumulated six solo blocks and eight digs in SU’s two matches against Randolph and Regent, with three blocks in each game and five digs versus the Royals.
Boys’ basketball: Sherando 48, Strasburg 44
STEPHENS CITY — Sherando defeated Strasburg for its fourth straight win on Monday. The Warriors are 9-4.
Girls’ basketball: Strasburg 39, Sherando 29
STRASBURG — Strasburg completed a season sweep with a win over Sherando on Monday.
The Warriors (3-11) trailed 18-7 after one quarter, 23-10 at the half and 29-22 after three quarters.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two Keene State College student-athletes honored by the Little East Conference for their achievements accomplished for the week of January 5-11.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Freshman diver Keegan Johnson (Durham, N.H.) was named the LEC Diver of the Week and the Rookie Diver of the Week from his dives across the Owls’ final two home meets this season over the past weekend. Against Eastern Connecticut State University, Johnson placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 129.75 on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday morning against Norwich University, he placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 141.38 and first in the 3M diving with a score of 170.31.
Johnson and the Owls return to action for a double-dual meet against Brandeis University and Bridgewater State University on Saturday, January 17 at 12:00 PM.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Senior Eden Damis (Nashua, N.H.) was named the LEC Field Athlete of the Week from his performance at the Middlebury Snowflake Invitational on Saturday for the Owls. In the long jump, Damis posted a mark of 14.00 in the triple just for a new personal record in his final attempt of the day. His mark became the 21st best mark in NCAA Division III on the season, just one position for qualifying for nationals later this season.
Damis and the Owls return to action at the Panther Invitational I at Plymouth State University on Saturday, January 17, at 10:00 AM.
PITMAN — The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its women’s indoor track & field weekly honors for the week ending Jan. 11
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
LUCIA GARCIA-BELTRAN • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley Central
Garcia-Beltran earned NJAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new program record in the 60 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The senior sprinter and Rutgers transfer clocked a time of 7.63 seconds, which ranks fifth in NCAA Division III.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
SARAH SCEPKOWSKI • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Garwood, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson
Scepkowski claimed NJAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition after clearing 1.60 meters in the high jump at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The senior’s mark ranks 20th in NCAA Division III and stands as one of the top performances in the conference this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
AMELIA VITALE • Farmingdale State College
Freshman • Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge
Vitale was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after posting a time of 2:30.87 in the 800 meters at the Spartan Invitational. The freshman’s performance represents the top mark in the event thus far in the NJAC this season and establishes her as the conference’s early leader in the middle-distance event.
PITMAN — The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its men’s indoor track & field weekly honors for the week ending Jan. 11.
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
MAXIM RYCHKOV • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville
Rychkov earned NJAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new program record in the 400 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The sophomore clocked a time of 47.95 seconds, which ranks sixth in Division III. Rychkov’s record-breaking performance also leads both the NJAC and NCAA Metro Region in the event.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
BRADEN PAULMENN • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Monmouth Junction, NJ/South Brunswick
Paulmenn claimed NJAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition after a strong showing in two throwing events at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The sophomore recorded a mark of 15.38 meters in the shot put (third place) and 13.98 meters in the weight throw (fourth place). His weight throw mark ranks third in the NJAC and 10th in the Metro Region. Paulmenn also owns the second-best shot put mark in the NJAC and NCAA Metro Region and is 26th in Division III.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
VICTOR AKINBOBOYE • The College of New Jersey
Freshman • Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty
Akinboboye was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after clocking a time of 35.54 seconds in the 300 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The freshman’s performance ranks 18th in Division III and establishes him as one of the top first-year sprinters in the conference.
Oldani had a match-high and career-high 10 digs in BYU’s season opener Friday night in Provo. He added another three digs on Saturday. Oldani also had five blocks over the two matches, as the Cougars started the season 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season.
Oldani is one of three transfers from Grand Canyon on this season’s BYU squad. He was a key contributor as a freshman last season for the Antelopes and has picked up where he left off with the Cougars.
Oldani and the No. 8 Cougars won in back-to-back sweeps last weekend over Saint Francis and have two more home matches this Friday and Saturday, as No. 10 UC San Diego visits the Smith Fieldhouse.
