The RoundHouse | 9/13/2019 3:58:00 PM

Where are they now?
 
Jan (Meloy) Welch – volleyball (1997-2000)
 
Jan (Meloy) Welch played well enough and hard enough to set records and ruin the laundry for Wichita State.
 
She played in Levitt Arena, before air conditioning, and before jerseys designed to evaporate sweat. The Shockers, she remembers, sometimes put on fresh uniforms at the break because hers was soaking wet.
 
"They were cloth back then, heavy and cloth," she said. "We'd come in and everybody would have to change their jersey. I remember one time one of the girls took my jersey and said 'Look at this,' over the trash can and wrung it out. It was so gross."
 
Her name remains prominent in the Wichita State record books because of all that sweat. Almost 20 years later, she remains one of the busiest Shockers. 
 
She leads the career list with 1,657 kills, 4,746 attack attempts and 1,892 points. She ranks second at 3.40 kills a set, second with 488 sets played and tied for fourth with 131 matches. She ranks sixth with 1,457 digs. All five in front of her played libero, a position added to college volleyball in 2002. 
 
Welch, from Houston, played three seasons for coach Phil Shoemaker and one for current coach Chris Lamb.
 
"I didn't want to go a program where they already had all their studs and were awesome and I sat on the bench," she said. "I wanted to go somewhere I could make a big impact."
 
Welch earned a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team in 1997 as a left-side hitter. She followed that with honorable mention All-MVC honors in 1998 and second-team All-MVC selections in 1999 and 2000.
 
"I took a leadership role quite early, which I loved, because that's how it was in high school," she said. "All the girls got along. It was a really good experience."
 
Family: husband, Brandon Welch; son, Peyton Magness (12); daughter Maylee Magness (9)
 
Family time –Welch lives in Overland Park and works for Rodan+Fields skincare company.  She devotes much of her time to her children's athletics (she was previously married to former Wichita State baseball star Pat Magness).
 
"I coach Maylee's soccer . . . and I'm going to start her on volleyball next year," she said. "They have always been on the go, since they were born. They want to do everything. She wants to cheer. She wants to swim. She wants to play tennis."
 
Welch played numerous sports growing up in Houston and her daughter is following a similar path.
 
"I push them hard (on the soccer team)," she said. "I don't baby them, but I'm definitely positive. The only reason coaches are going to push you is because they believe in you."
 
Road to Wichita – Welch swam and played tennis and played on the softball, volleyball, basketball and soccer teams growing up.
 
By high school, she narrowed her focus to soccer and volleyball. Colleges recruited her for both sports.
 
"I chose volleyball over soccer because I was burned out," she said. "I'm more of agility person. I don't really like the endurance."
 
Wichita State offered playing time and her parents encouraged her stay within a day's drive. 

"I really did like Phil Shoemaker a lot," she said. "I felt like I could really help the program. And I did still feel like I had a lot to learn and I wasn't burned out."
 
The Shockers improved from 9-22 in 1996 to 16-19 in Welch's freshman season in 1997. Dawn Horn earned the first of two All-MVC honors and Julia Schnurstein received honorable mention for the Shockers, who finished 10-8 and third in the MVC. The next season, they went 17-17, 11-7.
 
New coach - Lamb took over in 2000. Welch had shoulder surgery after the 1999 season and the recovery and coaching change changed her role, although she finished second on the team with 305 kills and led the Shockers with 307 digs.
 
"I just never was as strong," she said. ""I loved Chris. He was rebuilding, and I was a senior that had surgery." 
 
One season with Lamb gave her reason to think he would rebuild the program quickly.
 
"I could totally tell by the way practices were and how intense he was and positive - he had high expectations and he's done awesome," she said. "I love it." 
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.