By: CCAA

The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) proudly announces Cal Poly Pomona's Samantha Campion as the winner of the 2023-24 CCAA Impact Award for demonstrating outstanding citizenship and engagement throughout her campus and community.
 
Created in 2015-16, the Impact Award recognizes a single CCAA student-athlete who has exemplified leadership through participation in community service and engagement activities while maintaining a dedication to academics and athletics. Selections are made by the conference's 12 Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC).
 
"Sammy's teammates look for her to guide and lead them," said Associate Athletics Director / Deputy Title IX Coordinator Christie Joines. "Her voice allows her to lead through communication, put her teammates in the best situations, and encourage the people around her to be their best.  She is a natural leader who demonstrates strong intrinsic motivation and leadership that you can't teach or coach."
 
Campion has demonstrated leadership on and off the court, and it has continued to grow each season she has worn the Green & Gold of Cal Poly Pomona. She has served as the leader and captain of a volleyball program that has gone to three consecutive NCAA regionals. In addition to serving as the liaison between her teammates and the coaching staff, Campion is also a representative of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and manages their social media accounts. She was active in the CCAA's Basic Needs Drive, SAAC Movie Nights, and CPP's efforts in volunteering at local elementary schools.
 
The outside hitter also stays very busy in a variety of on-campus roles. She writes news articles, opinion pieces, and athletic coverage in the school's newspaper, The Poly Post. Campion also works with the Athletic Communications Department, serving in numerous gameday roles, and assisted the conference as a media intern at the 2023-24 CCAA Men's & Women's Basketball Championships. Campion also regularly volunteers to help at larger athletic events such as the golf tournament, faculty & staff appreciation events, Hall of Fame, and Alumni socials.
 
As one of the volleyball team captains, Sammy is a true representative of our program. She is dedicated to upholding our coaches' expectations and takes pride in her work on and off the court. Her commitment to improving as an athlete and leading by example with her work ethic outside of practice is commendable. From receiving a CCAA honorable mention last year to being an All-American this year, her dedication to personal growth is evident. She is not afraid to use her voice and engage in difficult conversations with both our coaches and teammates when necessary to ensure that goals align and to hold teammates accountable.
 
Campion has utilized her writing talent and social skills to find more opportunities to tell people's stories. She is currently an intern for a volleyball media company, VBAdrenaline, where she travels to volleyball tournaments or events to interview the top high school volleyball prospects to share their stories and draw attention to them in the recruiting process.
 
On the court, Campion is one of the top offensive options on one of the best teams in the West region. The native of Aurora, Colo., earned first team All-CCAA and third team AVCA All-American honors. She ranked sixth in the CCAA with 3.51 kills per set and was fifth with 4.20 points per set. Her 42 aces tied Campion for fourth, and she was 10th in digs (332). Campion helped CPP finish with its third consecutive 20-win season (22-8).
 
Campion is also outstanding in the classroom. As a communications major, she was named to the CCAA Fall Honor Roll.
 
To be considered for the CCAA Impact Award, candidates must participate in community service and engagement activities as members of their team and outside of team activities and demonstrate leadership exemplified by actions.