While local club volleyball teams offer strong competition and busy schedules, sophomore Stephanie Campbell went to a team that competes at an even higher level. Last year, Campbell made a national continental volleyball team, competing against some of the top volleyball players in the country and from around the world.

How long have you been playing volleyball and when did you decide that volleyball would be your main sport?
“I started playing rec ball for St. Albans in 5th Grade. I decided it would be my main sport in 6th Grade when I started playing club for Rockwood Thunder.”

What were the tryouts like to make this team?
“The first time I tried out was before a qualifier in Denver. It was very intimidating. There are a bunch of people from around the U.S. coming, it’s really good competition, and the coaches are there, swarming around while you’re playing. Then I tried out again in St. Louis, and it was the same thing.”

How did you hear about this team?
“Since 8th Grade, my coach for club had told me to try out for the national team. I didn’t the first year because we were going to Alaska, and I didn’t want to miss Alaska. So last year my parents convinced me to try out.”

What kind of travel is involved with this team?
“I’m on the Continental team, and we went to the Wisconsin Dells and played teams from Peru and Chile.”

What’s the difference between this national team and a high school volleyball team?
“On the national team, the people are in your age group, so there’s freshmen and sophomores. In high school there’s a whole lot of different ages. On my [national] team, there was no one from Missouri; they’re from all over the U.S.  It’s really diverse. It’s different, like how people call plays. It’s really interesting.”