COURTLAND—Michalann Camp, who has played softball at Southampton Academy since the seventh grade, is going to continue playing at the college level beginning in the fall at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland.

Camp, the daughter of Cass and Laura Camp, has had an illustrious career at SA. She was voted Team MVP for the past three years and has been named All-Virginia Commonwealth Conference three years, All-VCC tournament two years, and All-State this past season. She was also team captain her junior and senior years.

Camp, who has played catcher and helped SA reach the state playoffs the last four years, said Randolph-Macon appealed to her in part because of its size.

“It fit what I wanted in a college. It’s not big, which is what I am used to with Southampton Academy,” she said. “I went there and liked everything about it. It just fits me.”

Camp, who also played volleyball and basketball at SA, started playing softball as a young child. She started out playing coach-pitch for Courtland in the county league and all the way up to the 16-and-under program. Camp was part of the inaugural Wakefield Hornets team, which was formed from a county all-star team. She also played this past year for the Richmond Diamonds travel team. While with the Diamonds, Camp was scouted by Randolph-Macon. There was a time that she didn’t think she would play college ball.

“I was looking at Elon, James Madison, Virginia Tech, Mary Washington and UNC-Wilmington,” she said. “I thought I wasn’t going to play. Everybody that has kind of brought me up through softball, they’ve always encouraged me to stick with it. It’s just when you play so much you get burned out a little. Last summer I was feeling like I didn’t want to play anymore. The coaches helped me with it. I had a great time playing in the fall. It just became fun then because there wasn’t any pressure.”

Camp, who graduated from SA on Saturday, said the coach at Randolph-Macon said she could see playing time as a freshman.

The Yellow Jackets, who play in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (NCAA Division III), went 15-17 in 2009. The 2008 squad won a school record 24 games, including 16 in a row.