St. Henry High School all-state volleyball player Corrine Blackburn is trying her hand at basketball, if her hand cooperates.
“I broke a small bone in my right hand on a block at the net in volleyball,” said the right-handed Blackburn. “It was in the last set of my last match of the season in the regional final against Notre Dame.”
The St. Henry athlete views the injury as merely bad timing, not a bad break.
“It’s just part of sports,” Blackburn said. “It’s actually getting better. My first basketball practice was last Tuesday, and I feel good so far. My trainer really picks me up. I just have to concentrate on not using my right hand as much right now and going to my left.”
Few girls can wave off such a painful hand injury, especially when sports of choice involve hands. But Blackburn isn’t a typical teenager. She is a 6-foot-3 future Army cadet who will play college volleyball at West Point.
When Blackburn had a discussion with head coach Dan Trame about playing St. Henry basketball, he was all ears. At the time, he had just two seniors and one varsity player taller than 5-9 on the roster.
“She’s pretty tough and she’s obviously very tall,” said Trame, in his second stint at St. Henry. “I saw her play for approximately 90 minutes over the summer, and it was extremely promising. She does a lot of things naturally that you normally have to teach. She’s got great feet, good hands and a long reach. She has good balance and a nice touch around the basket. What I’ve seen of her so far in practice, I like.”
What’s not to like about an athletic 6-3 senior center who shows up out of the blue to play basketball?
“Exactly,” said Crusaders point guard Joey Powers. “Having a tall girl is a big boost. I definitely think when she gets all the way back from her injury, she’ll round out our defense. And she can finish layups over anyone.”
The St. Henry girls basketball team began the season Monday with a road loss against Grant County. The home opener is Wednesday against Holy Cross on the same court where Blackburn led the St. Henry volleyball team in blocks. She was third in kills for the 9th Region runner-up Crusaders. The Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association honored the middle blocker with a second-team all-state selection.
Blackburn’s volleyball playing days stretch all the way back to middle school. Among her influences is her mother, Jenny Vieth Blackburn. She starred at Holy Cross and played collegiately as a 6-1 middle blocker at Alabama. Her mother has been active as a coach at the hugely successful Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club.
Blackburn was most recently a player on the NKYVC 17 Tsunami. The team placed fifth at a national tournament this year in Las Vegas. Her teammates were among the best in the area including Xavier commits Ava Tilden and Julia Grace from Notre Dame.
Blackburn’s new teammates include St. Henry senior basketball players Kiki Unkraut and Clare Slocum. There’s also junior Jayne Knollman and Powers, a sophomore.
“As a point guard, Corrine gives me another outlet,” Powers said. “She’s so tall, she’ll draw a crowd down low. If she can’t get up a shot, she can pass it out to a girl who’s open. That’s a good way for us to get some 3s.”
It’ll take some practice, something Blackburn is finally getting while her injured hand heals. She had the option to change plans, forgo basketball, safely heal her hand and gear up for Army’s volleyball schedule. Blackburn didn’t change her mind and the reasons were simple.
“I hope to be an officer in the JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps, the law division,” Blackburn said. “I’m going to have to push my body in different ways. I need to be more agile and be tough enough to get through the Army. Playing basketball right after volleyball, even with a hand that’s healing, should toughen me up. Plus, I want to be a well-rounded athlete, and I missed basketball. I haven’t played since I was a freshman at Bishop Brossart.”
Due to the timing of her move to St. Henry after her sophomore volleyball season and dedication to volleyball as a junior in pursuit of a college offer, Blackburn was away from basketball for two seasons. She decided during the summer to give it a go one more time on the basketball court as a senior.
“When we first talked about basketball, I originally didn’t know all her family history. It was because of the name Blackburn,” Trame said. “Then I came to realize she’s also a Vieth. There’s been all kinds of Vieths play sports. I actually taught Corrine’s mother in typing class during my first stint at St. Henry in 1990.”
There have been other coincidences and full-circle moments since Blackburn decided to join forces with the St. Henry basketball team. Blackburn’s mom was a Northern Kentucky Junior Volleyball teammate of Trame’s sister, Susan.
“You know what, I can’t explain that. All I know is I’m the beneficiary,” Trame said. “I’m glad Corrine is doing what she thinks is best for her before going into the Army. With her being the first prominent St. Henry volleyball player to play basketball, maybe that will lead to more volleyball players playing for the basketball team.”