She’s the centerpiece of the Washington volleyball team, both literally and figuratively, and the more she continues improves so does the Pam Pack’s odds of having a winning season.
Standing at 5-feet, 10-inches tall, Washington junior middle hitter Megan Corey has the capability to dominate on both sides of the ball and is a big reason why Pam Pack second-year coach Kelly Slade is excited about the prospects of this season.
Defensively, Corey roams along the net like border patrol and threatens to send anything that comes her way back to the other side. On offense, Corey’s swift feet allow her to get in proper position for kills, while she uses her long arms to send spikes at her opponents with the mechanical force of a catapult.
“Megan’s just extremely athletic,” Slade said. “Whether she’s playing the front line or the back line she’s always moving her feet. She always positions her self correctly. Not only is she athletic, but she’s just a smart volleyball player.”
Slade said Corey has the tools to make the all-Coastal Conference team this season but the Washington junior said the only thing she is focused on right now is making sure the team ends the year with more “W”s then “L”s.
“The goal is to get better and work better with the team,” Corey said. “We want to have a winning season and possibly go to the playoffs.”
As a sophomore, Corey worked her way into the starting lineup for the Pack, but it was the extra work she put into improving her game by playing with the Coastal Plains AAU volleyball team that has elevated her status to team leader.
“Megan means a lot to the team, she’s a very strong middle hitter,” Slade said. “She does a great job of reading the hitters. She knows where to go and where to cover and she always seems to be in the right spot at the right time. I think a lot of that comes from continuing her play outside of high school. She’s taken the initiative to go play travel ball and it really shows from the way she reads the ball and her movements out on the court.”
Off the court, Corey can be shy and humble, but once the whistle blows her intensity matches the ferocity of her spikes.
“She’s definitely not shy on the court, she’s very aggressive,” Slade said. “She’s the leader on the court and off the court. She’s had a big role in helping us run some of the plays that she has run in travel ball and they’ve been really successful.”
While Corey is off to strong start this year, Slade knows she can’t rely solely on her middle hitter and said that it will take a total team effort to achieve a winning season.
“I think she’s an important factor but we’re not going to make it to the playoffs without the rest of our team, that’s for sure,” Slade said.
The Pam Pack’s march toward the posteason will continue today as it hosts Northside at 6 p.m.