Biography
By Jim Hague
It’s very rare to have a freshman enter a college athletic program and do as much as Chrissy Campanelli is doing right now for the Rutgers-Newark women’s volleyball team.
Not only is Campanelli playing three different positions for the Scarlet Raiders – outside hitter (her natural position), middle hitter and setter – but she is also serving as the team’s captain. Yet, she’s only been enrolled in the school for a little more than a month.
“It’s really been overwhelming,” Campanelli said. “I wasn’t expecting anything like this at all. I wasn’t expecting any of it.”
Campanelli was honored by being named team captain.
“It made me feel better about myself,” Campanelli said. “It made me feel like I was a leader and that it was my job to pick everyone else up on the court.”
In the eyes of head coach Jason Madsen, elevating the rookie to captain was a no-brainer.
“We have a lot of freshmen on the team, but Chrissy stepped up right away as a leader, both offensively and defensively,” Madsen said. “She also took to the different roles right away and had an understanding of the different roles. She’s just so stable. She’s adjusted to the speed of the game, from high school to college. The transition has been great.”
Madsen likes what Campanelli provides at all three positions.
“Her ball control is fantastic,” Madsen said. “When she’s at outside hitter, she’s right on point. She’s also a capable passer. When she’s on the front row, she’s very smart and sees what the defense is giving us. I can actually see her thinking out there. She can actually place the ball where she wants. She’s very aware out there.”
Incredibly, Campanelli never played setter before she joined the R-N program.
“I was nervous, because I never played there before,” Campanelli said. “When he (Madsen) wanted me to be a setter, I was shocked. I’ve been an outside hitter my whole life. But I learned that every second ball is mine and I was going to give my entire effort to get the job done. It’s kind of tough, but I don’t mind it. If he thinks I’m capable of doing it, I should push myself to do it.”
After seven matches this season, Campanelli has 33 kills, 31 assists and 24 service points, ranking among the top three on the team in all three categories. The Scarlet Raiders own a 4-3 record after the first seven matches, featuring a roster that has 10 freshmen among the 14 players.
“It makes us very excited,” Madsen said. “We have a great future. Chrissy has a great future with us. She has a great skill level.”
Madsen said that he has no problem having a freshman captain.
“She’s one of the players who never comes off the court,” Madsen said. “She knows the game of volleyball very well. I’m comfortable with her as a leader. I hope she’s our leader for the next four years.”
Campanelli was asked how she thought she was playing thus far.
“I guess I’ve been doing pretty well,” Campanelli said. “I’m still going to push myself to do better. I have a bigger responsibility now, so I have to be more aware. I have to get the rest of the team up and ready. I have to make sure they have the right attitude on the floor. I have to pick everyone else up.”
Campanelli is hoping to be a criminal justice major. She hasn’t officially declared her major, but she did apply to the College of Criminal Justice.
“I hope to become an FBI agent or some sort of a federal agent,” Campanelli said.
Madsen is just glad that she chose Rutgers-Newark.
“She has a great personality,” Madsen said. “She’s quite a jokester. Recently, we had a match and the freshmen helped to get 400 fans to come. She was out there, letting people know that we were doing well with our volleyball program. Without a doubt, I’m very happy that she’s here.”
“I liked the diversity of the school,” Campanelli said. “I liked that I could explore different cultures and backgrounds and still play volleyball. I needed to play volleyball.”
And hopefully, Campanelli will call the Golden Dome her home for the next three years to come.
“I like it here,” Campanelli said. “Right now, we’re not going to win every game. We’re young. But if we stick together, come senior year, we’re going to be amazing.”
It’s safe to say that Chrissy Campanelli is already amazing – and she’s been at Rutgers-Newark for only six weeks.
