COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Every athletic program features that one
pivotal player who enjoys such an outstanding career that he or she
sets the standards for all players who follow.
Rachel Melchiorre was that player in Tennessee Tech women's
volleyball, establishing match, season and career record numbers
that every player since her has strived to equal - so far nobody
has.
In recognition of her astounding success as well as her academic
accomplishments, Melchiorre is one of five people who will be
enshrined into the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame this weekend
as the school honors its athletic legacy with the 34th annual
induction ceremony.
The 2008 Hall of Fame Class will be honored during Homecoming this
weekend. The induction will take place at the Hall of Fame Dinner
Friday evening, and the group will also be recognized at the
Homecoming football game Saturday against Jacksonville State.
Melchiorre also established a list of honors and awards that has
not been matched in the 10 years since her departure.
A four-year starter under coach Jennie Gilbert from 1994 to 1997,
Melchiorre wrapped up her senior season by leading the Golden
Eagles to the OVC Tournament championship and the program's only
appearance in the NCAA Tournament. An outside hitter, Melchiorre
was named AVCA All-Region, in addition to her third consecutive
all-OVC honor. She was the MVP of the OVC Tournament, and was named
to the All-Tournament team.
With Melchiorre headlining the attack, both on offense and defense,
the Golden Eagles wrapped up the season with a nine-match winning
streak that propelled them into the NCAA Regional, before falling
at Colorado. Tech was 23-10 overall that year, winning 17 of the
final 20 matches, including three consecutive 3-1 victories in the
OVC tournament.
She was voted Tech's NCAA Woman of the Year following her career,
but lost out in a narrow margin in voting for Tech's Female Athlete
of the Year to Diane Seng.
It was a fitting finish for Melchiorre, who opener her volleyball
career by earning a spot on the OVC All-Freshman Team.
In between, she set career records that still stand, including most
kills (1,662), most digs (1,586) and most service aces (229). She
also had the most attacks (4,453) in school history.
Melchiorre's name also appears in the match and season record
books. She owns the school marks for most kills (30) and most
service aces (7) in a four-game match. She set the record (592) for
most kills in a season, and she has the two highest single-season
marks (71 and 65) for most service aces in a season. Her 571 digs
as a senior was a school record, until it was topped two years ago
-- by a single dig.
In addition to her success on the court, Melchiorre also ranks as
one of the most successful student-athletes in Tech history in her
classroom work. She was named all four years to the OVC
Commissioner's Acadmic Honor Roll, was listed 10 semesters on the
TTU Athletic Director's Honor Roll, and was named Academic
All-America in 1997, in addition to being a three-time Academic
All-District selection.
Joining Melchiorre in the Class of 2008 are Chris Hedman, Mark
Maberry, John "Shakey" McClellan and Tom Pack. With their
induction, the Hall of Fame will grow to 148 since it was
established in 1975.
Tickets to the Hall of Fame Dinner and the game are available by
calling (931) 372-3940, or through the Athletics ticket office in
Eblen Center. Reservations must be made for the dinner, and tickets
are $25 each.