Bert ex’79 and Lori Kamp ex’85 of Orland Park, Illinois, have been attending Calvin volleyball games for more than a decade. Ever since their oldest daughter, Rebecca, became a Knight in 2008, there has been a steady stream of Kamps on the court.
Five in all—Rebecca, Lizzie, Stacey, Maggie, and Anna—just one shy of an entire team, but the legacy ends this year with Anna Kamp, who put an exclamation point on the end of that run with a final national championship appearance.
Along the way there have been three national championships, four national player of the year awards, seven MIAA MVP honors, and eight MIAA championships.
Despite this legacy, Anna was almost not a part of it.
When it came to deciding where to attend college, she was determined not to attend Calvin. She really wanted to be her own person. But after touring multiple colleges and universities and seeing what they had to offer, Calvin was the one school that provided her with everything she wanted: a strong faith, strong academics, strong athletics, and balanced social life.
“When I think back on my college experience, the volleyball part is definitely one of the most positive things, and it’s one of the biggest parts of my college experience. I came in with expectations of it being really good because I just knew that it was a special program, but everything that has happened has just exceeded my expectations,” she said.
Watching her older sisters play volleyball is what got Anna hooked. “I remember just going and watching their volleyball games, and every stage of my life I could kind of see what the next stage would be, so it was always fun envisioning myself being a varsity volleyball player in high school and then moving onto college.”
A business major with a human resource concentration and a minor in psychology, Kamp hopes to work in human resources consulting after graduation.
As Kamp wraps up her time as a collegiate volleyball player, she looks back on all the things she has enjoyed most. Having a community on campus that feels like a family is something that meant a lot to her. Being a part of the volleyball team has given her the opportunity to form deep relationships and gain lifelong friends.
“I’m going to miss being on a mission with a group of women that are so supportive,” she said. “My advice is to never miss an opportunity to serve your teammates because they can teach you a lot and really help you grow.”
