Date: Fri 18-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Quick Words:

Corkum-Volleyball

Full Text:

Jenn Corkum Moving On To D-I Siena College For Volleyball

(with photos)

BY KIM J. HARMON

It might not be Stanford University, where she once -- as a younger player --

dreamed of playing, but Jenn Corkum nevertheless will hit the Division I hard

court in September as a freshman middle hitter on the Siena College volleyball

team.

Jenn, 18, signed a National Letter of Intent back in May to attend Siena

College in Loudonville, New York, and play under head coach Hank Wysocki, who

first saw the 6-3 hitter back in the summer of 1997.

Her skills, which were only to blossom in her junior and senior years at

Newtown High School, were impressive enough even then to catch the collective

eye of the Siena coaching staff at their summer camp. From there, the staff

began sending Jenn letters and then watched her play during her juniors camps.

The phone calls began last July.

"There were a few other schools I was interested in -- Bucknell, Temple,

Loyola and St. Johns," said Jenn, "but when it came down to deciding, Siena is

a lot like home. I have family that lives a few minutes away, so I'll never

get homesick. And I really felt comfortable at Siena. It's the kind of

atmosphere I like."

The Lady Saints finished 15-20 in 1998, but advanced to the semi-finals of the

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament. Jenn, one of five new

players to commit to Siena, is expected to get a good amount of playing time

her first season.

"Jennifer has excellent movement for someone her size," coach Wysocki said.

"She swings very well and gets up a huge block. She'll get immediate playing

time and only needs to get stronger."

Jenn is a four-year starter at Newtown High School, where she helped the Lady

Nighthawks claim the CIAC Class L state championship in 1996. As a senior, she

was named to the All-SWC team and was nominated as CIAC Class L first-team

All-State. She was then selected to play in the Connecticut senior All-Star

game.

"I started playing really early," said Jenn, "and I was very energetic about

my goals, but the further along I got, the more realistic my goals became. I

knew I could play Division II or III and be a star right away, but I wanted to

get a scholarship and I wanted the better competition and tougher challenge of

a higher level."

And the coaching staff of Siena -- without knowing it -- sold Jenn on the idea

of becoming a Lady Saint.

"It was good to see how the coaches interacted with the players," she said. "I

respect the way they handled the team."

The way the coaches interact with the team and the way the players interact

with each other has also served to soothe some of Jenn's anxiety about her

impending freshman year. It will be a tough enough challenge stepping up to

Division I collegiate volleyball even without considering the rigors of

academic life.

"It's kind of scary," Jenn admitted. "I don't know how I'll manage. But with

the team GPA at 3.1 and the captains' GPA at 3.7, there will be plenty of

girls who can show me how to do it."

She reports to school and practice on August 28 and her first matches as a

collegiate player will be September 10 and 11 at the Colgate Invitational in

Hamilton, New York.

"We are very excited about this class," said coach Wysocki, "and we think it

will make us much more athletic. (The new freshmen) all have tremendous talent

and a great deal of experience. With our entire starting lineup back, it will

allow these freshmen to make a smooth transition."

The Lady Saints will visit Connecticut on Wednesday, October 13, for a game

against Central Connecticut State University and then on Friday, October 22,

for a game against Fairfield University . . . and Jenn is already telling her

friends to mark those two dates on the calendar.