Campbell hopes injury talk is in the past

Mirror photo by Michael Boytim Penn State’s Alli Campbell is interviewed on media day for the Lady Lions Tuesday.

By Michael Boytim

mboytim@altoonamirror.com

UNIVERSITY PARK — Alli Campbell had a lot of dreams about how her first two years at Penn State would go that included the joy of playing for the team she grew up rooting for, restoring the legacy those squads built and making it to the NCAA Tournament.

She never thought she would spend her third Lady Lions media day fielding questions all about injuries.

“I’m ready to move past it,” Campbell said. “I want to embrace this year, stay healthy and do whatever it takes to help this team win. I’m definitely a little sick of the injury talk, but it is to be expected. That has been my career these past two years.”

Campbell worked her way back from a major knee injury that kept her out the entire 2021-2022 season to play in Penn State’s first 10 games last year.

She earned her first collegiate start in the 10th game against Indiana and played 30 solid minutes as the Lady Lions were competitive in a nine-point loss to the No. 4 team in the country.

But late in the game, she went down with another injury, this time to her other leg.

“That game and that week leading up to that game was the most confident I had been all year,” Campbell said. “I was starting to find my flow and rhythm and really contribute. Going down was really hard, because I really wanted to contribute and give everything to this team to try and get wins and having that taken away from me for the second time was tough.”

Campbell said she knew something was off but didn’t realize the severity of it until a consultation with the doctor after the game.

Suffering a second major knee injury in just more than a year may have led to some players giving up the game – not Campbell.

“It never crossed my mind at all,” Campbell said. “I knew that I wanted to continue playing. I knew I was going to work just as hard if not harder than the first rehab and get back to the way I know I can play the game and get even stronger. It never crossed my mind to quit playing.”

Campbell said the first few days were tough as she processed everything, but then she handled it as a task that needed to be completed to the best of her ability.

“I knew what to expect, so that made it easier, but I also knew what to expect and how hard it was going to be,” Campbell said. “The second time was smoother and a better process, and I healed faster the second time.”

Her ability to bounce back impressed her coach.

“I literally have never seen anything like the way she looks right now,” Penn State women’s basketball coach Carolyn Kieger said. “She has dominated her rehab. She looks absolutely like a different player. She’s so confident. She’s playing with such poise. She makes us better every time she’s on the floor, every time we’re making teams in practice. She’s somebody that is just a glue player. You can put her at any position or play her with any person on the team, and she makes everyone else around her better.”

Campbell averaged 3.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.1 minutes per game before her injury last season and shot 35 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

“She was just finally finding her stride right before that Indiana game,” Kieger said. “I am just elated for her. I could not be more excited for someone who has been through the ringer the last two or three years. To see her coming out on top and playing better than ever, she’s bigger, faster and stronger. She’s more confident, and I’m thrilled for her, her family and the fans. I think a lot of people are excited to watch her being from Altoona coming home to Penn State. It’s going to be a joy to watch her this season, and it’s going to be a really good feel-good story this season.”

Only four of Penn State’s 12 players on its roster are listed as forwards, so as a 6-foot guard, Campbell’s versatility may lead to her being used in different ways.

“This whole offseason, I have been working at the two through four positions, and this summer I even stepped up and got some work in at the five,” Campbell said. “I’m going to play wherever Kiegs needs me to be and wherever I can help the team win. If that’s being a shooter or rebounding inside, a stretch four, wherever she puts me, I’m confident and know the plays, the spot and know I can help out.”

Campbell’s ability to mesh well with others as a “glue” player should also help her find consistent minutes.

“What is great about this roster is that we have 12 student athletes, and every single one of them is going to play,” Kieger said. “In practice, this is the most balanced team that I have ever coached. When it comes time to lineups, a lot of it is going to be who plays well together, what matchups go into facing the opposing team, but we have a lot of good guards and a lot of talent in the backcourt.”

Campbell, who became Blair County’s all-time leading scorer during her high school career at Bellwood-Antis, is now a redshirt junior after playing her freshman year at Notre Dame during the 2020-2021 season. She’s a communication major that is minoring in sports studies.

“I will be graduating in the spring,” Campbell said. “I love all my classes. Penn State is the best of both worlds when it comes to school and sports. I really love it over here.”

Campbell said she has an opportunity to do an MBA program next year at Penn State and is looking into that.

“My goals are to stay healthy and help this team win games,” Campbell said. “Whatever time I have left with Penn State, I want to give it my all. I want to help us win games. I want to help us get to the tournament, and I want to leave this place on a good note, feeling accomplished and still loving the game of basketball.”

The Lady Lions return their top scorer in Makenna Marisa and best defensive player in Leilani Kapinus.

“I think we have the best group that we have had since I have been here at Penn State,” Campbell said. “We’re the most confident we have ever been. We’ve had the best offseason we have ever had, and we’re ready to turn this thing around and make the tournament. We’re ready to have people talk about Penn State women’s basketball again in a positive way.”

Penn State tips off the season on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the Bryce Jordan Center when it hosts Bucknell at 7 p.m., and Campbell is expecting to be on the court that night.

“I’m 100 percent. I’m ready to go,” Campbell said. “I’m playing every day in practice. I’m not taking any reps off, so I’m ready for this season and excited for what we can accomplish.”

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