Kaleigh Backlund knew at an early age that she wanted to play the only sport that she really loved – soccer.  She also decided early on that she wanted to continue her soccer career in college.
 
Those pursuits led her across the country to Campbell University.
 
At Campbell she has thrived in athletic competition, academic success and in extra-curricular involvement.  Backlund played a major role on the 2021 and 2022 teams that won back-to-back regular season Big South championships.  She earned the Big South Conference Commissioner's Award for academic excellence in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before gaining CAA Commissioner's High Honors with Distinction as a junior.
 
Outside of the classroom and soccer field, Backlund also finds the time to serve as President of Campbell's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
Backlund's talent, drive and work ethic convinced former Campbell head coach Samar Azem to offer her a scholarship as a high school sophomore.  Those qualities have paid off for the Campbell program and for Backlund, the daughter of a former college athlete who has a firm grasp on her post-collegiate days while taking full advantage of her time on campus.
 
The generosity of Fighting Camel fans, alumni, family, and friends truly makes a difference in the lives of student-athletes at Campbell University.  Through the newly created Women's Empowerment Fund, the Fighting Camel Club's goal is to make that experience even better, specifically for our female student-athletes.  To join the Fighting Camel Club, click here.
 
"A scholarship means a lot. It shows the belief people have in you," said Backlund, who will graduate this coming May with her BBA in accounting as well as an MBA.  "It's, obviously, not a small investment to get somebody here. By putting money into them it really shows they're wanted."
 
The future accountant explains what compels her to excel in all aspects through business terms.
 
"You want to prove that you're here for a reason," said Backlund, who earned all-conference and all-freshman honors in her first season.  "(You are) something that somebody put a lot into, and you want to make good on that investment and turn it into something that's beneficial. Once I get my degree, I want to put it to use and be a productive member of society. While I'm here I want to be a productive member of the soccer team."
 
Growing up her entire life in the same house in Gilbert, Ariz., Backlund knew that she wanted to venture out of state to continue her soccer and academic career.  Her older brother, Bryce, did so when he chose to attend Utah Tech.  Both followed in the steps of their father, Brett Backlund, a native of Oregon, who played baseball at Iowa and later in the minor leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks.
 
"I always knew I didn't want to stay in Arizona for college because I'd always lived there, and I wanted to experience a different part of the country for four years," said Kaleigh.  "If you get outside of three hours, four hours, you're not driving home for the weekends anyway, so it didn't matter how far I went." 
 
Why Campbell?
Like many Campbell students in general, and student-athletes in particular, Backlund embraced the small, caring Buies Creek community.
 
"I felt comfortable, I felt cared about here, it was home, it was family," said Backlund.  "Not every campus I saw gave that same impression as the tight-knit situation we have here.  We have a lot of people that care about us."
 
For Backlund, the simple fact that her professors know that her first name is pronounced "Cow-lee" – rather than "Kay-lee" – is a small indicator of how people in Buies Creek made her feel early on.
 
In high school, Backlund focused on developing her skills that earned her all-state honors, while taking advanced placement courses that allowed her to place out of a number of entry-level classes at Campbell and, as a result, earn two degrees in four years.
 
"I'm very driven," she explained.  "I knew I wanted to go into accounting, a little bit of a harder major."
 
She also views Campbell's small-town setting as a benefit to allow student-athletes to focus on their sport and studies with fewer distractions than in a larger city.
 
Involvement beyond school and sports
As a sophomore, Backlund first joined Campbell's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  As a junior, she was named Vice President and chosen to participate in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) SAAC. 
 
Now in her senior year, Backlund serves as SAAC President, overseeing five subcommittees that focus on student-athlete well-being.  She meets weekly with the SAAC officers and monthly with the entire SAAC membership to plan for upcoming activities regarding five areas of focus – community engagement, diversity-equity-inclusion, international students, mental health and social media.
 
"Being in SAAC means being a leader on your team and on campus and connecting people from the campus to each other and the community," said Backlund.  "It gives people a way to be involved in something outside of their sport and see how the community works together."
 
Backlund and former Campbell football player Mahlon Dyer, who served as SAAC President in 2023-24, participated in the 2023 CAA SAAC Leadership Summit at Richmond, Va., even before Campbell played its first game in the new league during the fall season.
 
The participants had the opportunity to share insights regarding the student-athlete experience and give their opinions on a variety of national and conference issues. They were able to sit in on presentations covering sports psychology, and ways to curb discrimination on college campuses, while also participating in a community service activity.
 
Like many student-athletes in the class of 2025, Backlund was able to compete two seasons in both the Big South Conference and Coastal Athletic Association, an opportunity she has embraced.
 
In 2021 she earned all-freshman and all-conference honors as the Camels won the Big South regular season with a 9-1-0 league record.  She was the fourth-leading scorer on the 2022 squad that new head coach Jeff Gross led to an undefeated (7-0-2) conference mark.
 
"The CAA was definitely a new challenge. The travel is longer and harder, but just something we had to get used to," she admitted.  "We won the Big South back-to-back in the regular season and that's something we want to prove we can do in any conference.  One thing I thought was cool was having two years in each conference. I got to experience a lot more of the east coast and visit different schools and cities because of switching conferences."
 
Following graduation, Backlund plans to join father's CPA firm and work alongside her brother after taking the CPA exam.  Until then, she intends on making her senior season – and senior year – the best it can be.
 
As for advice that she would give to a younger student, Backlund simply says to enjoy your time in college.
 
"When things get hard, know that it's not forever," she said.  "A season is hard, but it's so rewarding.  Set yourself up for success.  Enjoy that process."