Nov. 5, 2009
By Stephanie Hayes
UCFAthletics.com
The UCF volleyball team will be competing in its final home match of the 2009 season Sunday against Conference USA opponent SMU. This night will also serve as Senior Night for the team, marking the final home match for seniors Andee Youngblood (Castle Rock, Colo.) and Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.) of their UCF careers. What will inevitably be a very emotional night for the two women, also serves a stepping stone for them into the next phase of their lives.
"I think Senior Night is going to be emotional just because you put so much into it for four years and it's kind of like reality settling in," said Campbell. "This really is your senior year. It'll be really fun to have a good crowd with people that have supported us the whole season."
Campbell has made quite an impression at UCF over her four years at the school. Even prior to competing in her first match of the 2009 season, the outside hitter was garnering league attention, being voted onto the Preseason All-Conference USA team by league coaches. Over the course of the season, the senior has posted career highs in kills, assists, digs and total blocks, leaving behind a legacy of note-worthy ability and skill.
Post-graduation, Campbell intends on continuing on to grad school where she will either focus all of her energies into her studies or take a position as a graduate assistant coach, utilizing the knowledge she has gained over the course of her career.
Whatever path she decides to pursue, Campbell will not be leaving UCF without taking away a multitude of valuable lessons and experiences. What is apparent is the fact that the bond she has created with those that surround her most often, her teammates, is strong and lasting.
"The friendships I have made with my teammates is the most valuable thing I will take away from my time at UCF," she said. "You go through a lot of hard things together, but in the end you love each other more than anyone in the world."
It is clear that Campbell is more than prepared as she moves on from the world that exists within the walls of UCF into the world outside of our community. However, the memories she has of her time at the school, along with her role in the building of UCF tradition, will remain with her.
"It's cool to help the school build the traditions," she said. "Other big schools in Florida already have their traditions set. But you know, we were the class that started zombie nation, getting the whole stadium jumping. Building tradition rather than continuing tradition is really important."
As Campbell looks forward, the discipline and commitment that she has developed as a student-athlete ensure that she has every opportunity to go far in all of her endeavors. Her favorite quote is all too appropriate in this situation as she progresses into the next stage of her career.
From the movie "Waking Life,""Your life is yours to create. It's always your decision who you are."
UCF returns to The Venue at UCF for its final C-USA home series this weekend when it takes on Tulsa and SMU. The match against the Golden Hurricane is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday night, while the match-up with the Mustangs is set to get underway at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The match against SMU will also be broadcast by Bright House Sports Network on tape delay, set to air Sunday evening at 7 p.m.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.