2008 Woodie Awards
Webster's dynamic duo: Klingelhoefer, Shelton
Co-captains and team catalysts share more than just the name on the back of their jerseys
By: Grant Bissell
Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
The Webster University women's volleyball team had an outstanding season. It finished with an overall record of 21-10 with only one loss in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). The team won the SLIAC championship and the right to host the conference tournament in Grant Gymnasium. A big reason for the success of the team was the play of its two captains.
Shining stars and broken records
Sophomore Crystal Shelton received the SLIAC Player of the Year award and junior Melanie Klingelhoefer was voted SLIAC first team all-conference. Shelton and Klingelhoefer play two totally different styles of volleyball. Shelton is an outside hitter with overwhelming power and Klingelhoefer is a setter who quarterbacks the offense. Alone, each is a solid volleyball player. But, as they've found over the past two seasons, together they are an offensive force Webster has never seen. They have a chemistry on the court that can't be denied. It's almost like they have a sixth sense to always knows where the other is.
These two players are incredibly competitive and both broke a Webster school record this season. Klingelhoefer piled up 1,310 assists and shattered the career record with a total of 3,304 with another whole season to play. Shelton set the single season kills mark with 526 recorded kills. Each led the SLIAC in their respective categories.
Both Shelton and Klingelhoefer are proud of the marks they've left on the record books, but they are very quick to point out that they couldn't have set these records without each other.
So, how did Crystal and Melanie become the great players they are today? Their paths to Webster were remarkably similar.
The path to greatness
"I started playing club volleyball when I was in fifth grade," said Klingelhoefer. "And I've been playing ever since. Volleyball is my passion."
Melanie says her parents were huge supporters of her as a young girl and helped keep her interested in pursuing her volleyball goals.
"When my dad figured out that I enjoyed playing volleyball, he learned the game really quickly and was in the bleachers for all the games."
Shelton got her start in CYC volleyball when she was eight years old and moved to club teams when she was in fourth grade.
"My older sister started playing when she was in seventh grade," Shelton said. "So, I've been around volleyball almost my whole life. And, my family really supported me when I decided I wanted to play too."
Another similarity between these two was that they faced a tough choice as young athletes. Would they choose to play volleyball or softball? This decision could have changed the future and kept them from becoming teammates. Shelton decided quickly that softball was not the path for her and began to focus on improving her volleyball game. The choice was not so easy for Klingelhoefer, though.
"Softball was my dream," said Klingelhoefer. "I wanted to pitch for Arizona, but I threw my arm out in eighth grade and wasn't able to pitch any more. I did play third base my freshman year, but it wasn't the same. I liked being on the mound and in charge of the game. That's why I stuck with setting in volleyball because with setting you're kind of running the show."
With their future sports endeavors decided, Shelton and Klingelhoefer went on to excel in their high school volleyball careers. First team all-conference, MVP and other awards were plentiful for these two in high school.
Gorlok days
Klingelhoefer and Shelton both had offers to go to larger schools with bigger athletics programs, but chose to come to Webster because they fell in love with the campus and felt very comfortable with coach Merry Graf.
"Coach Graf has always been very positive," said Shelton. "She's a mentor and a great coach and I enjoy playing here because she makes it fun."
Klingelhoefer added to Shelton's statement: "Merry Graf is so easy to get along with and so naturally friendly and caring. Every day she's got a smile on her face and she's open to new ideas. She's the kind of coach that I really like to play for and she'll make you work for your spot."
In response, Graf had nothing but praise for her two captains.
"Obviously they're both very skilled and talented, but they also do a great job of leading the other players," Graf said. "We had a lot of young players on the court at all times and they did a great job of setting an example that they wanted the freshmen to follow."
It's clear that these two enjoy playing for Graf, but what about playing with each other?
"Melanie and I have been friends since I came here," said Shelton. "I love playing with her. But, it's different being friends off the court than it is on the court because we're both so competitive. Sometimes we're hard on each other, but we understand the deeper meaning behind it and we can both take it. It's not like we're doing it to be ignorant to each other, it's because we know the other needs to be pushed to do better. I think we have a special bond because we can do that but we're always there to pick each other up."
Looking to the future
After all the awards Melanie and Crystal have earned and the accomplishments they've achieved, they're still hungry for more. Both players still have goals that they want to reach.
"To be the best leader that I can possibly be," Shelton said. "I want to set an example for others to follow because I want to be a player that others enjoy playing with."
Klingelhoefer's goal is simple.
"Get to the tournament. Win that conference tournament," said Klingelhoefer. "We've been so close and I think with the players coming back next year and with a good recruiting class we've really got a chance. We're just going to throw it all out there and I'm going to play my hardest. I never want to look back and say I'd do anything different. I've had a great three years here and I'm really pumped about next season."
Graf also sees great things on the horizon for Klingelhoefer, Shelton and the entire team.
"When I look at Crystal and Melanie, I think they still have great room to grow," said Graf. "I definitely see that they've improved from last year to this year and I don't think they've capped their talent level. They've got another year together and I think they can help shape the other players on the team. We're very excited about the future of Webster volleyball."
Shining stars and broken records
Sophomore Crystal Shelton received the SLIAC Player of the Year award and junior Melanie Klingelhoefer was voted SLIAC first team all-conference. Shelton and Klingelhoefer play two totally different styles of volleyball. Shelton is an outside hitter with overwhelming power and Klingelhoefer is a setter who quarterbacks the offense. Alone, each is a solid volleyball player. But, as they've found over the past two seasons, together they are an offensive force Webster has never seen. They have a chemistry on the court that can't be denied. It's almost like they have a sixth sense to always knows where the other is.
These two players are incredibly competitive and both broke a Webster school record this season. Klingelhoefer piled up 1,310 assists and shattered the career record with a total of 3,304 with another whole season to play. Shelton set the single season kills mark with 526 recorded kills. Each led the SLIAC in their respective categories.
Both Shelton and Klingelhoefer are proud of the marks they've left on the record books, but they are very quick to point out that they couldn't have set these records without each other.
So, how did Crystal and Melanie become the great players they are today? Their paths to Webster were remarkably similar.
The path to greatness
"I started playing club volleyball when I was in fifth grade," said Klingelhoefer. "And I've been playing ever since. Volleyball is my passion."
Melanie says her parents were huge supporters of her as a young girl and helped keep her interested in pursuing her volleyball goals.
"When my dad figured out that I enjoyed playing volleyball, he learned the game really quickly and was in the bleachers for all the games."
Shelton got her start in CYC volleyball when she was eight years old and moved to club teams when she was in fourth grade.
"My older sister started playing when she was in seventh grade," Shelton said. "So, I've been around volleyball almost my whole life. And, my family really supported me when I decided I wanted to play too."
Another similarity between these two was that they faced a tough choice as young athletes. Would they choose to play volleyball or softball? This decision could have changed the future and kept them from becoming teammates. Shelton decided quickly that softball was not the path for her and began to focus on improving her volleyball game. The choice was not so easy for Klingelhoefer, though.
"Softball was my dream," said Klingelhoefer. "I wanted to pitch for Arizona, but I threw my arm out in eighth grade and wasn't able to pitch any more. I did play third base my freshman year, but it wasn't the same. I liked being on the mound and in charge of the game. That's why I stuck with setting in volleyball because with setting you're kind of running the show."
With their future sports endeavors decided, Shelton and Klingelhoefer went on to excel in their high school volleyball careers. First team all-conference, MVP and other awards were plentiful for these two in high school.
Gorlok days
Klingelhoefer and Shelton both had offers to go to larger schools with bigger athletics programs, but chose to come to Webster because they fell in love with the campus and felt very comfortable with coach Merry Graf.
"Coach Graf has always been very positive," said Shelton. "She's a mentor and a great coach and I enjoy playing here because she makes it fun."
Klingelhoefer added to Shelton's statement: "Merry Graf is so easy to get along with and so naturally friendly and caring. Every day she's got a smile on her face and she's open to new ideas. She's the kind of coach that I really like to play for and she'll make you work for your spot."
In response, Graf had nothing but praise for her two captains.
"Obviously they're both very skilled and talented, but they also do a great job of leading the other players," Graf said. "We had a lot of young players on the court at all times and they did a great job of setting an example that they wanted the freshmen to follow."
It's clear that these two enjoy playing for Graf, but what about playing with each other?
"Melanie and I have been friends since I came here," said Shelton. "I love playing with her. But, it's different being friends off the court than it is on the court because we're both so competitive. Sometimes we're hard on each other, but we understand the deeper meaning behind it and we can both take it. It's not like we're doing it to be ignorant to each other, it's because we know the other needs to be pushed to do better. I think we have a special bond because we can do that but we're always there to pick each other up."
Looking to the future
After all the awards Melanie and Crystal have earned and the accomplishments they've achieved, they're still hungry for more. Both players still have goals that they want to reach.
"To be the best leader that I can possibly be," Shelton said. "I want to set an example for others to follow because I want to be a player that others enjoy playing with."
Klingelhoefer's goal is simple.
"Get to the tournament. Win that conference tournament," said Klingelhoefer. "We've been so close and I think with the players coming back next year and with a good recruiting class we've really got a chance. We're just going to throw it all out there and I'm going to play my hardest. I never want to look back and say I'd do anything different. I've had a great three years here and I'm really pumped about next season."
Graf also sees great things on the horizon for Klingelhoefer, Shelton and the entire team.
"When I look at Crystal and Melanie, I think they still have great room to grow," said Graf. "I definitely see that they've improved from last year to this year and I don't think they've capped their talent level. They've got another year together and I think they can help shape the other players on the team. We're very excited about the future of Webster volleyball."