ANDERSON, S.C. – Junior Emily Campbell (Statesville, N.C.) and sophomore Mia Elder (Leland, N.C.) will spend the beginning of their summer not winding down from the hustle of the spring semester, but by continuing their pursuit of high-level volleyball in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The two Trojans have been chosen by USA Sports Tours & Events to be members of the NCAA Division II American team that will compete against Brazilian international teams from May 11-20, 2026.
"The best thing is that it is at the end of the spring when we are at our peak," Elder said. "We'll have had a whole spring of lifting four times a week with Jenn (Anderson) and four days of play that we'll be coming off of."
The athletes will have the opportunity to compete at an elite level alongside other Division II athletes from across the country while exploring Brazil during their first international travel experience. They are looking forward to being under a different coaching style and surrounded by different styles of volleyball, experience they can bring back to Anderson into what they hope to be a championship fall season. They hope to also use the opportunity to bring more attention to DII volleyball across the volleyball landscape.
"The percentage of girls that actually get to play elite Division I volleyball is so low. I think being able to have this experience and share it will be really helpful for younger girls," Elder said. "This is also a great opportunity to meet new people in the Division II world. I want to get more immersed into the personal aspect of the sport, we're so focused on winning and losing and I feel like a lot of times personal connection gets lost in it."
Campbell and Elder both came to love volleyball after falling in love with other sports. Elder's father is a basketball coach and basketball was her life until eighth grade.
"I started playing volleyball one day and got roped into joining a travel team," Elder said. "I didn't even try out, I just got put on the team. I loved it, and from the beginning I was all in. When you're surrounded by such great people and such great coaches it makes it so easy to love a sport."
Campbell grew up playing anything and everything, always loving most the sport she was currently competing in. Volleyball was the only sport she ever doubted if she would make the team. It was something she had to leave in the Lord's hands as she went through high school. Her sophomore year she made the varsity team and it quickly became her favorite sport.
"I think it was because there was adversity in it that I had never been challenged with before," Campbell said. "It required me to trust the Lord a whole lot more than I had ever before in sports."
She also got thrown onto a travel team where she grew to love the competition even more deeply. Both her and Elder loved the challenge of playing with different people and under different coaches throughout the year, something they thought they likely wouldn't get to experience again in their careers until this opportunity came up.
"I want to have a championship mindset coming into my senior year and I think this is just another stepping stone to get to that point," Campbell said. "It's also another opportunity to share the Gospel. Going to Brazil and telling people about Jesus, and getting to share that through the sport that I love. From the very beginning I've been praying that if this is what the Lord wants me to do He would continue to open the doors and this is just another opportunity to do that."
Campbell and Elder are raising money for the trip, if you would like to support them you can do so here.
