Catching Up With Kenley Campbell '24

7/16/2026

The moment is etched in Kenley Campbell’s memory.

It wasn’t pleasant, that’s for sure, but it was life changing for the better.

The 2024 Collegiate graduate and soccer defender par excellence was competing in a tournament at Striker Park with her club team, Richmond United, in the late fall of her Sophomore year.

“I intercepted a pass and leaned forward,” she said. “The (opposing) player came up from behind me and pushed me a little bit to put some pressure on.”

As she did, Campbell’s right knee buckled, and she hit the turf.

“It felt very wrong,” she said. “You expect the worst.”

Play stopped. Trainers rushed onto the field and checked her knee, then summoned a golf cart to move her to the sideline. After a month of hobbling on crutches as she waited for the swelling to go down, she underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

To say that the experience tested her mettle is an understatement.

“I was definitely down,” she said. “I was young. Surgery wasn’t even a thought at that time. Going through that and then the month and a half where I couldn’t really do anything was very hard. Getting on the bike and doing PT and then running and doing ball work were check points that sped along the process.”

As she rehabbed her knee, she also rehabbed her psyche.

“I’ve loved soccer my whole life,” she said. “Being away from it for so long made me realize how much it mattered to me.”

After missing Collegiate’s 2022 spring season, she returned in August with renewed fire and motivation, which came as no surprise since a fierce competitive spirit had always been part of her DNA.

During her last two years, the five-season varsity performer twice earned League of Independent Schools player of the year honors and as a Senior was cited as VISAA as well as All-Metro Player of the Year.

Her last two years at Collegiate, she competed in winter track and ran personal bests of 41.94 in the 300, and 1:18.98 in the 500. As a Senior she won LIS titles in both events and in the state meet placed fourth in the 300 and third in the 500. She excelled in the classroom as well and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society.

She chose William & Mary from a host of colleges that recruited her and, not surprisingly, has continued her excellence.

A Dean’s List student, she’s majoring in human health and physiology and plans to attend graduate school to become a physician’s assistant.

On the pitch where she plays outside back and sometimes center back, she’s started 34 of 36 games during her career and both years has earned a spot on the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

One recent afternoon on a visit to North Mooreland Road, she spoke of her journey that began when she was a preschooler competing in the YMCA rec league and continued as she found success and fulfillment not just at Collegiate and William & Mary, but with the Richmond Strikers, Richmond United, and, since 2024, with the Richmond Ivy.

What about soccer excites you?

I enjoy playing with the team, even if I’m not scoring the goals because I’m on defense. It’s fun watching everything (unfold). When we score and celebrate, it’s such a good feeling. And I really like the physicality of soccer. As a defender, you have to be physical. It’s fun being in a sport where you can push against people or run by people.

How have you managed the grind?

At Collegiate, I’d go to school all day and then to winter track practice and then straight to soccer practice and then do my homework. I fell into a routine, so it wasn’t super hard for me. And I found ways in the morning to do work, so it kind of eased out for me. College is different because there’re only two or three classes a day so there’re blocks of time I can study. Our practice time is mid- to late-afternoon, so if I want to hang out with my friends or do things beside studying, there’s time for that.

What’s the secret to your success in high school and college?

Probably just working hard. We (at W&M) always talk about bringing a game mentality to practices. We’ve been trying to do that. And I’m a big runner. Whenever I have some down time, I try to run. That adds up over the years. Over the summer, 2-3 miles have been my long runs plus short intervals for speed work for conditioning.

Speak about the importance of competing in multiple sports in high school as you did?

It’s important because you meet so many different people. The people that I met in track were totally different from soccer, and that was definitely fun. The different speeds of play in each sport help, and they each bring something different to the table that you might like more.

What’s your most memorable college soccer moment?

When we played NC State at NC State. It was a big game, and we won (1-0), which was a pretty big upset. We went to the locker room (afterwards), and everyone was cheering. Then we had a bus ride home, and everyone was so excited. It was a close game the whole way. They’re known for being really aggressive. We just had one break away play (which resulted in a goal by Leah Iglesias with Molly Widderich and Nora Green-Orset assisting).

What areas are you working on to improve?

Last year I played outside back, so I was focusing on 1v1 defending. When you get isolated, that’s super important for an outside back not to let them get the cross off. And also, I worked on being more attack-minded, just going forward with the ball and finding the next pass.

Collegiate soccer is known for its positive culture. Did you find the same at W&M?

Yes. There’re definitely moments where everyone’s struggling because of the conditioning or it was a hard practice, but overall, we have a great time. We play a lot of fun games, and every time we scrimmage, it’s amazing.

What advice would you give a youngster dreaming of playing college soccer.

Play your best at every showcase and every event where the college coaches are, and be sure to send out emails, because coaches are reading them even if it doesn’t seem like they are. They definitely appreciate people who are very good at communication. Keep working hard, and keep having fun. If you’re still having fun with the sport, all the time and effort you put in will pay off.

~Weldon Bradshaw

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