BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Aley Clent has literally moved across the country in her journey to Buies Creek.  From the San Francisco Bay Area to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and now to a small university located where the North Carolina Piedmont meets the Coastal Plain.
 
She arrived at Campbell in 2022 and immediately made an impact as an all-freshman team performer for the Fighting Camels' Big South volleyball regular season championship squad.
 
When she graduates next May with an undergrad degree and MBA, Clent will have completed an outstanding, well-rounded college experience that balanced athletic, academic, extra-curricular and service pursuits.
 
Clent will not only serve as a volleyball team captain during her senior season this fall, but also as president of Campbell's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  In the classroom, she has earned President's List honors every semester, plus Big South ('22-23) and CAA ('23-) honor roll status each year.
 
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.
 
"My scholarship means so much to me," said Clent, who is pursuing her finance and management degree and is a part of the Risk Management institute.  "Without my scholarship, I would not have found myself at a wonderful Christian institution that has taught me a lot about not only life, but grace through my professors, staff, through coaches. Not only has my scholarship allowed me to be able to move across the country, but also to compete at a level that I may not have had the opportunity to do otherwise.  With SAAC, I've had the opportunity to go out and really meet people in the community and see how it affects elementary school students when we welcome them in, when we read books to them.  Also seeing people in the stands and growing their love for a sport because I was given this opportunity through a scholarship."
 
Clent not only stands out among Campbell athletes due to her athletic, academic and off-court involvement, but she literally stands out among CU students – she's 6-feet, 5-inches tall.
 
In middle school, her size pointed her in the direction of basketball and eventually volleyball, after she participated in competitive dance during her youth.
 
"One day, I went to the shoe store and couldn't buy point shoes anymore because they didn't have my size," said Clent, who was involved in tap, jazz, ballet and other forms.  "My mom wondered how I was going to continue dancing if I couldn't get the shoes."
 
From that point, Aley directed her competitive juices to the basketball and volleyball courts.
 
"I'd been in such a competitive environment with dance for so long that traveling and doing stuff just felt natural," she said.  "That first year (seventh grade) wasn't very good.  But being as competitive as I was with dance, I was used to working out and drilling every day. It just molded and fit, and built on itself."
 
Her size (she stood 6-foot-2 at age 12) and skills not only attracted the attention of school and club coaches in suburban Dallas, but eventually that of power conference programs located in California and Texas.
 
"I was lucky to get letters from UCLA and (Texas) A&M that first year," she recalled.  "Once those letters started coming in the mail, it became real that 'oh, you could play Division I volleyball, get a scholarship, and go to school for that.'"
 
As Clent developed into a Division I prospect at Coppell High School and with the Drive Nation club, the possibility of a Division I scholarship turned into a reality – but not at the destination that one might expect.
 
Why Campbell?
The fact that Clent traveled halfway across the continent to pursue her academic and athletic career should not come as a surprise.  She is the daughter of parents who journeyed overseas to chase their dreams.  Aley's father, James, is a native of the Netherlands, while her mother, Marijana, is a native of Croatia.
 
The Covid-19 pandemic caused mass confusion all over the world in 2020 and into 2021.  It also forced many college coaches to rearrange previous recruiting offers because the NCAA granted student-athletes an extra year of eligibility after many seasons were limited or cancelled.  Some teams did not have room on their rosters, or in their scholarship budget to add a full complement of freshmen.
 
"That created a bit of a scare for me, but Coach (Greg) Goral offered me very early," said Clent.  In addition, she had the opportunity to earn not only her undergraduate, but a graduate degree in Campbell's Lundy-Fetterman School of Business – an prospect that thrilled her parents, both of whom hold MBAs.
 
Not only were Campbell's volleyball program (which earned its first NCAA postseason appearance in 2021) and business school major enticements, but the fact that Aley was familiar with the area made the decision easier.  She has extended family in Chapel Hill and spent many summer vacations along the North Carolina Outer Banks.
 
"When I stepped foot on campus, it was 'this feels like home,'" said Clent.  "That solidified my decision.  It just felt like the best fit for me overall."
 
On the floor, Aley has played in all 88 matches over the past three seasons.  She set a CU freshman class record for attack percentage while earning Big South all-freshman honors in 2022.  As a sophomore, she started every match for a Camel squad that finished third in the final standings after moving up a competitive step to the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). 
 
During her junior season, she led the team in matches started and was named Academic All-District® by the College Sports Communicators.
 
A budding entrepreneur
Not only was Aley involved in volleyball during her high school days, but also with the Coppell student council, National Honor Society and her church youth group.
 
She started her own business while still a middle school student.
 
"I sold baked goods at the farmer's market and to local realtors because people love to go into houses and smell fresh-baked cookies," said Clent.  "My parents helped me calculate my cost per good."
 
It's not surprising that a (pre-) teenage entrepreneur with parents who had business backgrounds that Aley would choose a similar academic path.  She praises the entire Lundy-Fetterman faculty and staff, especially Renee Green, who serves as director of leadership development and student success, as playing vital roles in her academic pursuits.
 
The opportunity to earn her MBA with a track that is risk management specific in just four years was one that she could not overlook.
 
She spent this summer as an intern with Duke Energy in project management and has an informal offer of full-time employment following graduation.  Following graduation, she plans to live and work in the Raleigh-Durham area, and eventually attend law school.
 
Beyond books and volleyball
Not only has Clent played a significant role in Campbell's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during her time in Buies Creek, but she also had the opportunity to connect with her fellow league members at the 2024 CAA SAAC conference.
 
"Being able to meet with other individuals and athletes from different institutions allowed us to sprout some of their ideas into ours," said Clent.
 
The CAA-wide initiative for National Girls and Women in Sports Day plus the Camel Cup, which includes a service aspect, were ideas she helped bring back to the Creek.
 
Furthermore, she loves the SAAC's annual "Polar Plunge" for Special Olympics and hopes to re-start the "A Night to Shine" prom for special needs students.
 
"I'm very fortunate to be elected as SAAC president, making sure that people are heard, people are seen and that their needs are met, whether from a mental health perspective, diversity and inclusion or an international student-athlete perspective," said Clent.  "I have an avenue to foster the people to lead those subcommittees and encourage athletes to really care about those issues.  To hear them out and bring those dreams into reality, that's my goal."
 
Along the way
Aley credits her parents as well as her school, club and college coaches and faculty as playing vital roles in her growth.
 
When she's not training, studying, competing or working on a campus or community cause, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, spending time outdoors and with her friends, boyfriend and family.
 
As far as her goals for the upcoming year, she keeps it simple.
 
"One. Be the best teammate I can be," said Clent.  "Two. Win the CAA championship this year.  Three.  Graduate with my master's and undergrad degrees."
 
Her advice to anyone starting their college journey?
 
"The people really make the place here. Focus on those relationships. Enjoy every second of it. Go to class," she said.  "No one's path is linear. Everyone's path is unique.  If people think that just because I did all these things it was really, pretty along the way, it was not. Pursue whatever it is that makes you happy."