A Dream Fulfilled: Campbell Jensen's Volleyball Journey

Everyone has a dream; every dream starts with a passion. 

Some people find that passion at a young age, and as they are continuously surrounded by it, that passion only grows further. For Campbell Jensen, growing up in a volleyball household led to her love for the sport and her dream of playing at the collegiate level. Now a four-year starter at UC Irvine, Campbell has accomplished that dream and more during her time as an Anteater.

Growing up in Burbank, California, Campbell and her two older sisters played multiple sports, but volleyball is what stuck for all of them. With her dad having played volleyball, his passion was passed down to the whole family. The Jensen sisters joined a parks and rec league, where their dad was their coach, and from third grade on Campbell was hooked. With both of her sisters going on to play collegiately, it was a dream for Campbell to play volleyball at the collegiate level as well.

“It was something I knew I wanted to do, and I thought it was really cool to see my sisters playing in college. I got to see the level change from high school to college. I feel like that helped the transition to be a little bit easier with my sisters having already been through it. They gave me a lot of advice.”

Campbell credits her family and support system for helping her stay grounded and feel confident in every match she plays.

“They are my biggest supporters. They have always had 110% belief and faith in me. I feel like that's instilled a lot of confidence in me on the court. Knowing that they're always going to be in the stands watching me, or watching me on TV has been really nice. I know that no matter what happens, they're always there for me.”

Her family, friends, and teammates also helped her find her way to UC Irvine. 

“My high school experience was fun. I got to play with both my sisters, but more so my second-oldest sister. Most of my high school teammates were also my club teammates, so I was just surrounded by friends all the time. One of my club teammates was committed to UCI, and our coaches came to watch her, and liked me and one of my other teammates, and so now all three of us (Emma Napoleon and Elizabeth Miller) are here now.”

While Campbell joined her sisters in playing at the NCAA level, their paths differed a bit in the positions they played. Both her sisters were 5-foot-8 setters, while Campbell, who is a couple inches taller, became a libero.

“My mom didn't really know much about volleyball, and she really wanted me to be a setter, because my sisters were setters, but my dad was like, no, let her pick. So, I actually started off as a six-rotation middle. But I was only 11 years old when this happened, and then everyone started to outgrow me, so one of my coaches moved me to the libero position at 12, ever since then, I've been a libero.”

It proved to be the right move as Campbell is now a three-time All-Big West selection and four-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week. She is also one of the top candidates for the 2025 Big West Libero of the Year as she leads the league and ranks among the top 40 in the nation with 4.62 digs per set.

Campbell takes pride in her role and importance on the defensive end. Her favorite part of being a libero is the impact she can have from the back row. As a player, Campbell is aggressive and tries to cover as much ground as possible to keep the ball alive for her team.

“My aggressiveness is something I've heard people talk to me about. I try and take up as much space as I can and be super aggressive on the court, just to make everyone else's jobs easier, especially when my main job is to take the first ball.”

Being a libero is a selfless position, and one must be willing to give themselves up completely to contribute to the team’s success. Campbell embraces that role and trusts that her training and belief in her teammates will lead to success. Her advice for anyone looking to play the position is to believe in your own preparation.

“Trust your training. When you go out on the court during your games, have a lot of faith and trust the fact that you put in so much work into being as good as you are. It’s almost like turning your brain off and just playing. Don't think, because you're going to end up overthinking.

“I trust myself, trust my abilities, and I just play. As a libero, you have to get the ball up, you have to pass the ball well for your team. It's a very selfless position. That's one part I really like about it - you're somebody that has to give to the team. It's really fun seeing all my hard work to be successful and then seeing what it can do for my teammates and put them in really good and successful positions as well.”

While a libero is focused on making an impact on the defensive end, it also requires excellent skills in other facets of the game. 

“Your movement on the court [is important] - how much space you can take up, trying to take up almost three quarters of the court and sacrificing your body to get any ball up. And just being a well-rounded player. It's not all about the receive or defense. It’s also your serving, it’s also your out-of-system setting, it’s also your communication. It's everything - you can't just have one.”

One area of growth that Campbell honed in on before her senior season was her communication and leadership skills.

“I was more of a lead-by-example type of player when I came here, but our coaches would like a more vocal leader on the court. So, I really practice my communication - always explaining what exactly is happening on the court, what jobs we need to do for the next play, where the ball is going, stuff like that."

Campbell’s continued growth and commitment to excellence have been evident in her accomplishments. Currently, she ranks second all-time with 1,854 career digs at UCI and has been a huge part of the team’s success over the last four years.

“I'm really proud of it. One of my goals was to make it to the top of the leaderboard when I came here. It shows all the hard work and training pay off, just more of a physical example of it. I think it shows all the support I've gotten from my coaches and my teammates, too. This wouldn't be possible if people weren't actively pursuing my digs or putting up a good block. There are just so many things that can lead up to me getting a dig. So, I think all of that, and everybody supporting and being there for me is really what helped me be up on that leaderboard.”

As Campbell starts to reflect on her time as an Anteater, she cherishes the memories she’s made, especially with her teammates.

“My teammates are definitely going to be one of the things I'll never forget and never regret - being close with them, having them by my side, 24/7. I'll always stay close to them.”

What was once a passion passed down from her dad and shared by her sisters became a dream fulfilled during her time at Irvine. Through her hard work and determination, Campbell has cemented her name in the record books and as she enters her final regular-season home matches this weekend, she will look to lead the Anteaters to another Big West tournament bid with her teammates, coaches, and support system by her side. 

“I love my teammates. I love my support system. I love my family. I would have never, ever been able to make it through these four years or accomplish anything without them. They made a major impact on my experience here. Not just as a player, but as a student, and everything I've accomplished these past four years.”