Hall of Fame
One of the greatest women’s two-sport athletes in Gustavus history, Emily Klein Nelson excelled on both the volleyball court and the softball field with tremendous speed and agility. Between the two sports, Klein Nelson holds seven school records, four All-Conference honors, three MIAC Defensive Player of the Year awards, and an All-Region recognition.
A defensive specialist who played with heart on the volleyball court, Klein Nelson owns seven of the program’s top 10 marks for digs in a match, including the record of 48 digs. She also owns records for single season digs (664) and career digs (2,329). Klein Nelson never gave up on a ball in the air and laid it all on the court, earning MIAC Defensive Player of the Year three times.
A powerful runner on the softball field, Klein Nelson holds four program records, highlighted by 81 career stolen bases in 86 attempts. Tracking down almost every ball hit to center field, Klein Nelson still ranks in the program’s top-10 in 21 different statistical categories and is in the top-five in career runs (125), walks (56), home runs (16), and RBI (107). The Red Wing, Minn. native culminated her softball career by leading the Gusties to a MIAC regular season championship and the 2009 World Series, taking third place.
After graduating in 2009 with a major in psychology, Klein Nelson worked as a staffing consultant for one year before moving on to work in human resources at 3M in Red Wing, where she has been employed since 2010. Emily and her husband Andy currently live in Red Wing with their two boys, Chantz and Parker.
