Corbett Proud to Represent Australia and Michigan
9/27/2017 9:25:00 AM | Water Polo, Features
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore Alex Corbett recently competed at the FINA Junior World Championships, representing Australia and the University of Michigan water polo team with pride.
"My pride was already high but it shot through the roof when we were standing there in our bright green robes singing the national anthem," said Corbett. "It was a feeling I want to feel again and something I will work for in the future."
Corbett spent her entire summer around the game of water polo. After the NCAA Championship ended in mid-May, Corbett flew home to Australia to try out for the Junior World Championship team at a selection camp. Fresh off the college season provided a boost for Corbett and helped her impress the coaches to earn a spot on the roster.
"It was amazing," said Corbett. "I had never made an Australian team so for me, that was a goal I set for myself a long time ago. To reach that was really exciting. The process was nerve-wracking so I felt relieved afterward that my hard work paid off."
With the Junior World Championships not until early September, Corbett had the summer to prepare for her first national team experience. Between working with her local team in Sydney and another camp with the junior team, Corbett kept busy working on her craft.
Two weeks prior to the Junior World Championships, the Australian junior team traveled to Hungary to compete in a warmup tournament. Corbett helped Australia earn gold in the tournament.
"We played really well in the tournament and the team got really close," said Corbett. "Traveling anywhere from Australia is hard because of the length of the flight and the time difference but the tournament helped us settle in and build up our training."
After the win, Australia headed to Volos, Greece for the Junior World Championships. Corbett was a team leader and starter. Her team started off against the host country, Greece, and the atmosphere was incredible.
 "It was amazing," said Corbett. "There were over 2,000 people and it was insane. It was great to see the local support, but also the support of our family and friends who traveled. I had to make an adjustment to stay composed in the environment."
One supporter in the stands for Corbett was Wolverine head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi. He was in Greece recruiting and made sure to cheer on his sophomore center. The support also meant a lot to Corbett.
"It was nice to see the maize shirt up in the stands; it definitely stood out," said Corbett. "After the games, I got some wise words from Marcelo. His support was awesome."
Being one of the older members of the junior national team put Corbett in a spot to work on her leadership skills. She was also able to see areas of improvement in her game.
"I learned a lot on defense, becoming more aware of other players, not just the player I was marking," said Corbett. "On the attack, I found things I need to work on like being more explosive."
Corbett said she found a different style of play than in collegiate women's water polo. The game was not as fast but the players at that level were stronger and more explosive. The game was also more physical which suits her style of play.
Australia finished 10th at the Junior World Championships, defeating China, South Africa and Serbia in the tournament. With junior worlds running from Sept. 3-9, Corbett missed the first week of classes at Michigan. However, she is back in Ann Arbor now and has caught up on her course work.
"It has been stressful since I got back," said Corbett. "Missing the first week of classes was difficult but all the staff, lecturers, professors and GSIs (graduate student instructors) have all been amazing with helping me catch up. If you put the effort in, you can do anything."
Corbett is spending her first fall in Ann Arbor after starting school in January as a freshman. She was able to experience her first football game when U-M took on Air Force.
"The football game was cool," she said. "I don't really understand the game yet, but I am getting there."
