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Alli Campbell has been a star player for every basketball team she has ever played on. Now she is looking for a new challenge.

Earlier this week Campbell verbally committed to the University of Notre Dame to play basketball for the Fighting Irish.

This has been a long process for Alli, as she has been scouted and recruited by many D1 basketball schools. She has had a lot pressure on her and yet shown it.

Alli said the early commitment takes a little pressure off her back.

“It has taken some pressure off, not that it will change how I prepare for the season, but it is nice to be able to focus on the last two years of high school knowing what my next step is,” said Campbell.

For Campbell, it’s not like she’s never been in a situation with tons of pressure on her. Last year she carried the Lady Blue Devils to a state championship, scoring 24 of the team’s 25 points in the second half of the title game against West Catholic. Over the summer, she competed for a spot on the USA Basketball 17U team.

Verbally committing has been an extremely emotional journey for her, and a lot of thoughts had to go into the decision she had to make.

“This is the part I didn’t expect. It has been very emotional and I am so excited to become part of the Notre Dame family and to begin that new chapter in my life. At the same time, though, I am sad to have to tell some other coaches that I was not choosing their school,” said Alli.

In making the decision Campbell said she had to consider team chemistry, the coaching staff, the schools academics, and the distance from home.

Alli Campbell is the second Lady Blue Devil to commit to a D1 school this year. Sakeria Harlason also verbally committed to Monmouth over the summer.

Head Coach Jim Swaney he was proud of his two Division I athletes.

“It is very nice that both Alli and Sakeria have made their college decisions. Monmouth and Notre Dame are getting great student athletes. This is something they have both been working for very hard and I could not be happier with their choices,” he said.

Swaney is also very relieved that they can focus on their last two years of high school without worrying about making a college decision.

“Now they can focus on their academic and basketball skills” said  Swaney.

Campbell had seven schools that she liked very much starting with Notre Dame, Penn State, Stanford, Duke, Michigan, Pitt, and finally Boston College.

Alli’s verbal commitment means a lot to her and she cannot express that enough.

“It signifies the beginning of a new chapter in basketball for me. I am focused on becoming better in every aspect of the game and I am very excited for the future,” Alli said.

Campbell will now enter her junior season with goals much more connected with her Bellwood-Antis teammates than her career goals in the game of basketball. While B-A would like to repeat its state championship performance, the Lady Devils haven’t won a District 6 title since 2014. Further, Alli has the school and Blair County scoring record clearly in her sights. Already a 1,000-point scorer, she needs 1,090 points to eclipse former teammate Karson Swogger, who leads the county scoring list with 2,520 points from 2013-2017.

Alli will also enter her junior season as the reigning PA Player of the Year as well as the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year.