MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State Beach Volleyball has announced the addition to two student-athletes who will join the program for the 2023-24 season.
The newest Eagles are Bella Marita and Landyn Snowden.
"We are excited to welcome Bella and Landyn to our beach volleyball family. Throughout the recruiting process, it was easy to see they were meant to be Eagles," said head coach
Kyrsten Becker-McBride. "Bella and Landyn are incredibly competitive and hardworking, and both take that work ethic to the classroom. They each understand the full picture of what it means to be a student athlete, and will represent the beach program in a first-class manor in the classroom, on the sand, and within the community."
Marita is a 5-foot-5 native of Florence, Ky., where she attends Notre Dame Academy.
With her club program, Ohio Valley Beach, Marita finished in third place at the USAV Beach National Qualifier in 2022. She also took second place at the Gulf Coast Region Beachfest American National Qualifier.
In indoor, she earned her team's Coach's Award for the Pandas.
An accomplished student, Marita is a Governor's Scholar alum who was named First-Team Academic All-State on two occasions.
"I chose Morehead State because of the atmosphere and school spirit. Morehead State has the friendliest people. Walking around campus, students are constantly greeting you and offering assistance. Everyone I met on campus told me how much they love it," she said. "The team dynamic was also a big factor why I chose Morehead State. The girls always look like they are having a blast while playing and supporting each other. All in all, Morehead State just felt like home to me, and I knew I wanted to spend the next four years here. What I am most looking forward to during my time at Morehead State is becoming part of the Eagle family. I am eager to meet all of my teammates and get to know them better. I cannot wait for this adventure to begin and to start making memories. Most of all I am excited to represent Morehead State in the sport of Beach Volleyball."
Snowden is a 5-foot-9 product of Tallahassee, Fla., where she plays at Lincoln High School.
She is a two-time recipient of the Academic Excellence Award. Beach Volleyball became a varsity sport for high school in Florida for the 2022 season, and she was named to the All-Big Bend Team.
She helped her team to a district title as a sophomore and a runner-up finish as a junior.
Snowden plays for Edge Performance club program. She helped them to an AVP national qualifier in 2021 and 2022 and to a USAV national qualifier in 2022. They were first place at Sports Edge AVP East Coast Championship Qualifier.
"I knew from a young age I wanted to go to school out of state to experience new people and places. The scenery I took in at Morehead State my first-time visiting was beautiful and a huge difference from Florida where I grew up," she said. "I also want a personalized college experience with a smaller faculty to student ratio and Morehead State fits that perfectly. After meeting with Coach Kyrsten (Becker-McBride), (Assistant) Coach Sarah (Martin), and the team, it felt like home. I'm most excited about forging new friendships and representing MSU on the sand."
