Girls Volleyball Player of the Year: Vivian Campbell made her mark, led Oswego East to record-breaking season

Oswego East's Vivian Campbell (17) sets a shot during Class 4A Plainfield North Sectional semifinal match between Oswego East at Benet. Oct 31, 2022.

Vivian Campbell undoubtedly held many goals for this season, but they all circled back to one overarching theme.

She wanted to leave her mark on Oswego East volleyball.

As one of nine seniors, Campbell did not let emotion get in the way of her aspirations. Second-year coach Dina Beamon said Campbell remained the same throughout what turned out to be a historic season.

“She came to play every game,” Beamon said. “There was never a time I had to look at her and tell her to get her head in the game. She was the one looking at me asking me what she needed to do. It’s indescribable the kind of player she is. Honestly, we wouldn’t have been able to do any of what we did without her. She was so focused and determined and disciplined.”

Campbell indeed left her mark.

The Wolves shattered the program win record they had set last season with a 27-7 mark. Oswego East won the program’s first Southwest Prairie Conference volleyball championship, then won the school’s first volleyball regional title.

Campbell, in her dual role as setter and right-side hitter, had 463 assists, 262 digs, 144 kills and 68 aces. Campbell, the Record Newspapers Player of the Year, was quick to dish out an assist to her teammates that made the season possible.

“I think everything started with the group of girls I was with all season, being able to play with them and the close relationships we had and the hard work we put in,” Campbell said. “Whenever we were struggling, our determination and resilience pulled us through to a successful season. If we didn’t have all the pieces in place we would not have had the outcome that we did.”

Campbell, like many others, tried different sports when she was younger as she tried to see which one fit best. Athletics is in the family DNA. Her dad played football, a cousin played football at Iowa and Vivian’s older brother plays football at Yale. The youngest of three siblings, Vivian gravitated toward volleyball, the sport her older sister by six years, Gabby, also played.

“I was introduced to it at a young age,” she said. “As soon as I grabbed the ball it felt natural.”

Oswego East's Vivian Campbell (17) and Oswego East's Kylie Kany (9) defend the net against a kill attempt by Neuqua Valley's Eleanor O'Neal (16) during the Neuqua Valley 4A regional final volleyball match at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville on Thursday, Oct 27, 2022.

At 5-foot-10, Campbell has good height which is a nice luxury for teams to have in a setter. She did not hit for her club team, but Campbell readily took in the multiple responsibilities of setting and playing right-side.

“No matter the situation I am thrown into, I will do whatever I need to do for the team,” Campbell said. “If it means putting in a few more hours to perfect that I will do whatever I can so the team has success. I feel like with my team I was very comfortable switching between the two positions. The biggest thing I have learned is to uphold that leadership position, no matter where I am playing.”

That versatility made a huge difference for an Oswego East that did not rely on one go-to hitter, but rather multiple options.

“It meant everything,” Beamon said. “Some times they would be getting the ball to Vivian constantly and I said you have to move it around. Being so versatile, it made all the difference. Nobody expected the girl to nail balls down the line. We had so many options this season as far as front row. We could have Vivian on front row, she could set anywhere on the court as well as being a dynamic right side and even on defense, she was an amazing defensive player. Such a well-rounded player. She was a force.”

Campbell plans to continue playing in college, although she hasn’t made her decision yet where. A stellar student with a 4.2 grade-point average, Campbell is leaning toward studying political science, but is keeping her options open.

Looking back on the chapter of her life that’s closed, reminiscing on all the accomplishments of she and her teammates is bittersweet, but Campbell is happy and proud to have left the program in a better place.

“In terms of culture, it was so important for us to keep the program going,” Campbell said. “There are a lot of talented girls that go through the program. We wanted to use all our talents to teach the younger girls the commitment and the drive and the teamwork needed.”