Vivian Campbell sets from the back row and hits from the front row for Oswego East. As a senior, she has been given the freedom to run the team on the court as she sees fit.
Campbell credited coach Dina Beamon for showing that trust in her.
“It’s a very collaborative environment with my coach, and I’m thankful for that,” Campbell said. “I’ve known (her teammates) for a long time, so I know the areas of success.
“Being a setter, it helps me set systems for us to run that will lead to our best success.”
The 5-foot-10 Campbell has guided Oswego East (22-5) to its most successful season in history. Each win actually establishes a new program record for the Wolves.
Campbell leads the Wolves, who also are 7-0 in the Southwest Prairie Conference, with 357 assists. She’s second on the team with 212 digs and 55 aces and third with 102 kills.
“She is incredible, not only as an athlete, but as a person,” Beamon said. “I’m the coach, but in order for her to lead on the court, I needed her to step it up and lead.
“She’s done an amazing job. When she’s on the court, there’s nothing else going on outside of wanting to win. That’s one of her best qualities. She runs the court her way, and it’s successful.”
The Wolves finished strong last season with a program-record 20 wins. They had nine senior returnees. Hopes were high for the season, but Campbell noticed a change this summer.
“We had the ambition to do well last season, but over the summer, we really had that flip of the switch,” Campbell said. “It’s so rewarding to see it showing in our matches.”
After a 25-17, 25-23 victory on Sept. 7 at Bolingbrook improved Oswego East’s record to 7-2, Campbell saw the Wolves’ confidence continue to grow.
The only two losses at the start were to defending Class 4A state champion Metea Valley.
“We knew they were a competitive team,” Campbell said of Bolingbrook. “When we played that match and beat them in two sets, everybody had that thought like, ‘Oh, wow, we can do this. We can go really far this year.'”
Beamon also knew something special was going on.
She started the fall on maternity leave after the birth of her daughter, but she came back early because she didn’t want to miss out on this season.
“I love them so much,” Beamon said. “I knew this was going to be our season. The baby comes to all the games. It’s been incredible to see them in action — see them so determined and going after it.”
Campbell only plays in the back row for club. The past two seasons, Beamon has asked her to add hitting in the front row to her repertoire for Oswego East.
“Over the summer, I knew I would be playing front row, so I focused more of my reps there,” Campbell said. “It can be frustrating at times, but with the support of my coach and my teammates, I knew I needed to do that for my team.
“Being a setter and then seeing the flip side and getting that kill is fun. I love it so much.”
Oswego East earned the fourth seed in the Class 4A Plainfield North Sectional. The road to the program’s first regional title will likely go through sixth-seeded Neuqua Valley, the regional host.
“We have some more goals to accomplish as we come toward the end of our season,” Campbell said. “The improvement from the beginning of the season to now has been drastic.
“It’s exciting to see how well our team is coming together, and it’s super exciting as the postseason gets closer.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.