Soccer standout Corby earns National Team invite

GVL / Kevin Sielaff - Marti Corby (13) moves toward Ferris net.  The Lakers defeat the Bulldogs with a final score of 2-0 Oct. 30 in Allendale. Grand Valley will advance to the GLIAC tournament starting Nov. 3.

Kevin Sielaff

GVL / Kevin Sielaff – Marti Corby (13) moves toward Ferris’ net. The Lakers defeat the Bulldogs with a final score of 2-0 Oct. 30 in Allendale. Grand Valley will advance to the GLIAC tournament starting Nov. 3.

Mason Tronsor

Grand Valley State soccer standout Marti Corby has been invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team training camp to train with the Under 23 team.

Corby, a junior, will travel to Carson, California with about 25 other players to practice with an elite group of women’s soccer players from Jan. 18-25. She is the only Division II player making the trip, and will have the opportunity to earn a roster spot on the team for the future.

“It was unbelievable to me,” Corby said, “I never thought at this point I would have been invited. It was an amazing surprise.”

After winning the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Player of the Year award her sophomore season, Corby followed with an encore junior campaign. For the second year in a row, she garnered NSCAA Player of the Year honors, becoming only the second player in history to win back-to-back POTY awards.

Corby led the nation with 17 assists and nine game-winning goals. As a key midfield cog, Corby has helped lead GVSU to three consecutive national championships — one for each year she’s been a Laker.

“I was in awe,” said junior Clare Carlson, Corby’s teammate and close friend. “It was incredible because I know it was something that she probably had only dreamed of. Her dedication and effort combined with natural talent is inspiring.”

Corby, a two-time NSCAA All-American, finished third nationally in goals scored with 25. Her 67 total points was good for second nationally.

During Corby’s three-year tenure, the Lakers have posted a 69-3-4 overall record, and have lost just one conference game — a 1-0 loss to Ohio Dominican in 2014. GVSU head coach Jeff Hosler inherited Corby as a sophomore when he took over the program in 2014, and the two have continued to drive the Laker soccer machine.

“I was very excited,” Hosler said. “I was very proud. I think it’s a well-deserved opportunity for her. She has shown she is capable of being the best player in the country.”

Corby’s name litters the GVSU record books, as she ranks fifth in goals scored (49) and points (135). She is fourth all-time in assists (37), and her 14 game-winning goals are good for sixth in program history.

When she returns from the camp, Corby will be entering her final season as a Laker. She hopes the camp will help improve her already polished game, along with a few other things.

“I hope this camp will help my leadership,” Corby said. “Going into a new setting and having to be a part of something with a bunch of new faces, is like the incoming freshmen to GVSU. Hopefully, the camp will help me learn how to build new relationships quickly.”

GVSU will lose four seniors to graduation prior to next season, which means it will return a fair amount of talent from last year’s national title squad.

Come 2016, Corby will try to lead GVSU to a fourth consecutive national championship and leave the university as one of the most decorated players in program history. Even if she falls short, her legacy at GVSU is bound to live on.