It is hard to name an achievement that Alli Campbell hasn’t earned.
She graduated high school in 2020 as B-A’s all-time leading scorer, as well as the most prolific scorer in Blair County and District 6 basketball history with over 3,000 career points. On a talented team, Alli was the deciding factor in Bellwood’s back-to-back state championships in 2018 and 2019, and she was leading the Lady Devils to a third in 2020, averaging over 28 points per game, before COVID ended the season. She’s played at Penn State for the last four seasons.
But while Alli’s name will live on for generations at B-A, what is more impressive than her on-the-court performance is what she does off of it. Since the days of being rated as one of the top recruits in the country, she’s been committed to being a genuine role model.
Case in point: on Wednesday, March 5, Alli and some of her Penn State teammates returned to Bellwood’s Myers Elementary for Read Across America Week, the same day she was awarded the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for Penn State.
The goal of the Myers trip was to spread awareness and to teach the importance of reading to the students. While at the elementary school, Alli read a book to all of the students and answered questions from them.
She was joined by teammates Gracie Merkle, Moriah Murray and Jill Jekot as well as PSU men’s basketball star Puff Johnson. The group read the book A Big Guy Took My Ball by Mo Williams to classes from grades 1 through 4.
Kylie Longo-McGarvey, the assistant basketball coach while Alli played and now B-A’s head coach said having Alli come back to read to students and spend time in the same gym where she used to work out meant the world.
“I love that kid! She’s such a great role model,” Coach Longo-McGarvey said. “Anytime I can be back in a gym with her is a moment I don’t take for granted. even if this time it was to read a book. I love watching the eyes of the future generations of Lady Blue Devil’s eyes light up seeing her walk into the gym. Special memories I don’t take for granted.”
The sportsmanship award meant a lot to Alli, who has made giving back to her community a central mission in her athletic development.
“It was a great feeling,” Campbell said. “Thanks to my teammates and coaches. It wouldn’t be possible without them. It’s nice to know that I am making an impact on and off the court, being a leader in all areas.”
Coach Longo-McGarvey was not surprised.
“She is unselfish, leads by example, outworks anyone in the gym to make herself and others better,” Coach Longo-McGarvey said. “She respects the game, she respects her opponents, she’s coachable, she shares her IQ. She’s the definition of what that award stands for.”
After Alli’s stellar high school career at Bellwood-Antis, where she received numerous honors, such as Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year – an award that included money she donated to the Northern Blair Rec Center for the purchase of benches in the gymnasium – she committed to play college at Norte Dame. She would appear in six games during her freshman campaign.
After her freshman season, Alli decided to come home and play for the Penn State Lady Lions. Her first season did not go as planned, Alli would unfortunately miss the entire season due to a torn ACL in her right knee. However, this did not discourage the sophomore. She worked extremely hard to rehab and was prepared for the next season, although she ultimately would take a redshirt year during her first season as a Nittany Lion.
Alli recuperated an returned for 2022-2023 stronger than ever and appeared in the first 10 games for the Lady Lions before suffering another season-ending knee injury, this one a tear of the ACL in her left knee.
As a redshirt junior, Alli had a season where she remained healthy. She appeared in 25 games for the Lady Lions and notched career highs in assists, rebounds, three-point field goals made and free throws made.
This season, Alli started 23 of 26 games and averaged 8.1 points each time out.
Because she has already earned her degree, there was some question as to whether Alli would return for another season of basketball for the Lady Lions, who went 10-19 and missed out on the Big Ten tournament. But Campbell, who is pursuing a Masters of Business Administration, said she would play again next season.
“I am going to play my sixth year of college basketball. I don’t know the details of all of that yet, but I’m going to play another year,” Alli remarked.
