Alison Grubbs grew up in Cullom, Illinois, and attended Tri-Point High School, where she graduated as the basketball team’s all-time leading scorer and class valedictorian. She was also her team’s captain and Most Valuable Player her junior and senior seasons and earned all-conference and all-state honors both years. Grubbs helped lead Tri-Point to conference and regional titles in each of her four years.

Grubbs entered Lake Forest College in the fall of 1997 and began one of the most successful careers of any athlete in school history. She was named First Team All-Midwest Conference after each of her four seasons, MWC Player of the Year and the team’s Most Valuable Player three times, Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman and sophomore, Second Team All-American her junior year, and First Team All-American her senior season. In 2001, Grubbs also received the prestigious Josten’s Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding women's Division III basketball player in the nation, taking into account basketball accomplishment, academic prowess, and community service. Grubbs led the Foresters in points, field goals, free throws, and three-pointers as a freshman and those four categories, in addition to assists and steals, each of the next three years. Her .479 three-point field goal percentage as a junior and .864 free throw percentage the following season were the highest marks in the country. During her prolific career, the Foresters won 20 times in each of her four seasons and lost a total of just 16 games. The team also posted a 56-5 record in conference play and captured league titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament her junior and senior seasons. At the time of her induction, Grubbs was still the program’s career leader with 258 steals, 450 free throws, a .835 free throw percentage, and 215 three-pointers. She also ranked second in points (1,711), scoring average (17.8), and field goals (523) and third in assists (300). She set school records with 526 points, 164 free throws, and 60 three-pointers her senior season and established new single-game marks with seven three-pointers and 15 free throws. Her single-game career-high of 39 points ranks second in program history. In 2008 Grubbs received yet another honor by being named to the D3hoops.com All-Decade Team.

A successful student as well, Grubbs was a three-time Academic All-MWC honoree, two-time Academic All-District selection, and an Academic All-American as a senior. The biology and education double-major was a member of the Kappa Delta Pi and Beta Beta Beta honor societies and earned a prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship, which she later used to obtain a master’s degree in educational administration.

After graduating from the College in 2001, Grubbs began a successful teaching career. She lists her husband Scott and children Austin and Addyson as her greatest lifetime achievement.