If you’re a Gustavus Adolphus volleyball supporter, you have to dig senior libero Emily Klein.

Klein, a 5-foot-6 Red Wing native, is the two-time reigning Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference defensive player of the year and holds every Golden Gusties record for defensive prowess.

“Emily reads the ball very well and she’s very quick,” Gustavus coach Kari Eckheart said. “She’s our most consistent digger and passer, so it’s nice to have that stability on the court. She’s someone who works very hard. She’s all-out for everything.”

Klein, a psychology major who also is the regular center fielder on the Gusties softball teams, began her onslaught on the record books when she registered 419 digs her freshman season. She followed that with a school-record 649 a year later, then came up with 597 last season.

“I think a good defensive player is one who is able to communicate to all the players and just not the back row,” Klein said. “It’s knowing what every play is all about and being able to help the hitters know what spots are open.

“You have to communicate with the back row and be able to maneuver everyone. You have to let them know what spots are weak and should be picked up on. My communication has gotten a lot better. I don’t think I said two words the first month I was here. ... I didn’t really know what to do in a new atmosphere.”

Klein amassed a school-best 48 digs in a match last year against Augsburg and is quickly approaching the 2,000-dig mark for her career. She also has 77 career ace serves and is considered a potential Division III All-American candidate this season.

Klein has done all of this despite a nagging back injury that she receives treatment for on a daily basis.

“I’ve had a lot of issues with my back and there are days when it is really bad,” she said. “I know it’s going to hurt, so I just kind of roll with it and push through it. I still want to work on my positioning and footwork. I tend not to run through balls, I just kind of dive to the floor and pass it up.”

Gustavus looked impressive in winning four straight matches to open the season last weekend in Memphis, Tenn. That included a 3-1 victory over No. 13 ranked Austin College.

“We’ve got quite a few young girls who are really stepping into play,” Klein said. “We had some big spots to fill with our two outsides leaving and we have people filling in quite nicely. ... We’re a pretty scrappy team.”

One of the Gusties’ strengths is in the middle where 6-foot junior Meghan Gehring and 6-foot senior Britta Bolm return from last year’s 18-6 team. Gehring belted 310 kills and was in on 104 blocks a year ago, while Bolm tallied 156 kills and was in on 130 blocks.

Senior setter Bridget Burtzel begins her third season of running the Gusties’ offense after dishing out 1,094 assists last season. She is No. 4 on the all-time assist charts with 2,550 and needs less than 200 to move up a notch.

A pair of freshmen — Angela Ahrendt and Olivia Warren — along with Maple River sophomore Janey Helland came up big on the Memphis trip and are expected to add plenty of offensive punch to the Gusties attack.

“It’s nice having a core of returnees who kind of set the tone,” Eckheart said. “But I am also excited with the new players that contributed right away offensively. I’d say defense and blocking are two of our big strengths