GROVE CITY - Christa Campbell walked away from basketball after her eighth-grade season because she thought she couldn't cut it.

She came back before her senior season to discover if she could cut it one final time.

Campbell, a Grove City High School senior guard, didn't want to see her high school career end by watching her classmates play basketball instead of playing beside them.

"I started thinking about it in the 11th grade," Campbell said. "Other girls who had not played were also thinking about it."

But Campbell was the one who followed through, in part because of her curiosity to see if she could still play and in part because of Alissa Chutz and Ashley McKnight, the other two seniors on the team.

"They finally convinced me," Campbell said. "I thought it would be fun."

It's been more than just fun for Campbell and Grove City, which will play Mercyhurst Prep at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the first round of the District 10 Class AAA playoffs. Campbell has given the Eagles some much-needed depth.

Grove City coach Roger Flynn was delighted to hear Campbell was returning to the program as he was scanning the roster for viable subs for his solid starting five.

"It came out of the clear blue," Flynn said. "She played a little bit in the summer and late last spring with us and indicated she'd like to play this year."

It wasn't an easy transition for Campbell. She hadn't played competitively in nearly four years and her basketball skills were rusty, at best.

She didn't know what to expect. She didn't even know if she would see the floor at all, let alone be a key player in a playoff run.

Flynn, however, said he knew Campbell could make a contribution.

"I knew she was so athletic," Flynn said. "I knew right away she could help us."

Early on, Campbell was timid. She was afraid to take shots and afraid to make mistakes.

She also had three years of catching up to do in the mental part of the game. As her teammates were running through old plays from years of open gyms and practices, Campbell was learning them for the first time.

"At the open gyms, I felt not up to speed," Campbell said. "Mr. Flynn just kept encouraging me."

As the days wore on and she got more involved in the action, her old basketball instincts took over.

Before long, she was the sixth man for the Eagles, spelling everyone from guards to forwards. It usually didn't take long for her to enter the game, playing in nearly every quarter of every game this season.

"She became a very important cog to our team," Flynn said. "She made an immediate impact. What's impressive is it wasn't like she came back after sitting out one season. She missed three, and that's a long time to be out."

Campbell also became a team leader, despite being a rookie in technical terms.

Flynn chalked that up to her personality and the respect she earned for returning to the court after such a long time away from it.

"She became a leader by example," Flynn said. "They recognized how hard she worked. She has great character."

The only lament Campbell has is she didn't return sooner.

Flynn shares that lament.

"She's developed some, scoring-wise. But how much better she would have been if she would have played all three seasons?" Flynn said. "Nevertheless, what a nice addition she has been to the team."