ROCKINGHAM — All of the pieces came together at the right time for Allyiah Swiney, who recently verbally committed to play softball at Campbell University.
Swiney, a senior at Richmond Senior High School, was previously verbally committed to Duke University. She made that commitment ahead of her freshman year of high school in the spring of 2018, but reopened her recruiting this past spring.
On Sept. 3, Swiney wrote on Twitter that she was “super excited excited to announce my commitment to Campbell University,” which is a Division I school.
This past weekend, she went on her official visit to Campbell to meet with players and head coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley.
“It feels really good to know I have a coach who cares about each player, including me,” Swiney said of her commitment. “I’m very excited to play at Campbell.
“I remember sitting with mom and grandmother, and (McDonald-Kelley) made the offer. My adrenaline was through the roof and I knew it was where I wanted to play.”
Swiney, who plays shortstop for Richmond, has been recruited by the Camels as an outfielder and middle infielder.
“Last spring, I started playing with a new travel ball team called Tennessee Mojo,” Swiney said. “That gave me a lot more exposure as a player and I decided that I wanted to reopen my recruiting.
“My travel team plays a little bit of everywhere all across the country and I felt like I could find more opportunities with them,” she added. “During spring break this past year, that’s when I decided to look at other schools.”
Over the last six months, Swiney had received interest from several schools. She said the ones who showed the most interest, or who had offered her, were North Carolina State, Syracuse, Marshall and the College of Charleston.
“I chose Campbell for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest was because of the close-knit family environment there,” Swiney said. “Everyone knows everyone and it was the right fit for me. Even though it’s a smaller school, I still get to play Division I softball.”
Swiney is a two-time All-Sandhills Athletic Conference selection, making the roster as a freshman and a junior for Richmond. As the Lady Raiders’ leadoff hitter last spring, she had a .462 on-base percentage, while also hitting .364 at the plate in 13 games.
Swiney had 16 hits, including a team-high four home runs, which was tied for the SAC lead with Scotland High School’s Lindsay Locklear. She added two triples and a double, and scored 17 runs during the shortened campaign.
Her nine RBIs were tied for third on the team last spring. Also known for her speed, Swiney stole 10 bases as a junior.
During her official visit to Buies Creek this past weekend, Swiney said she was able to get a feel for what to expect at the college level.
“It was a great visit, and I got to meet my future teammates,” Swiney explained. “I also got to experience what a class was like, so that let me know what I’m getting into.
“Then we did a photo shoot and I got to check out the campus and dorms,” she added. “I also watched the team scrimmage against Pitt and Meredith College, which was the most exciting part for me to see what the program’s potential is when I get there.”
Last season, the Camels finished with a 28-19 overall record, including a 15-3 record against Big South Conference opponents.
Campbell also won the Big South Conference Championship, beating USC Upstate in a three-game series, before being eliminated three games into the NCAA Stillwater Regional.
While she’s excited to play college softball, Swiney isn’t forgetting about her commitment to the Lady Raiders this spring. Richmond is looking to build off a 7-6 record and fourth-place finish in the conference last year, and will play in the newly realigned 3A/4A SAC this spring.
“I hope we can get in early and start practicing, and our biggest goal is to improve from last season,” Swiney said. “I just hope to increase my stats and get better as a player and teammate.
“I still feel like there is a lot I can learn from our coaches, who are really into it and are hands on,” she closed. “I’m looking forward to my final season in high school, which will give me more practice for college.”
Swiney said she plans on majoring in either health science or physical education at Campbell.
