The University of Mississippi Athletics
1,000-1,000 Club Highlight: Elena Garcia Becomes Ole Miss’ First Member of the 21st Century
11/5/2025 | Volleyball
OXFORD, Miss. – In celebration of Ole Miss volleyball's 50 seasons of competition, OleMissSports.com is proud to highlight nine student-athletes part of an elite club, who accomplished one of the rarest athletic feats in program history.
Comprised of athletes from the 1980's to as recently as 2017, Ole Miss' 1,000-1,000 club honors players who record at least 1,000 tallies in two statistical categories throughout their careers, generally kills and digs, showcasing excellence in both offense and defense.
After seven seasons without an addition to the 1,000-1,000 club, Elena Garcia Slaton would break through to become the seventh member in 2004. Susan Argue, Ole Miss' sixth member, achieved her recognition in 1997. Garcia is the only Rebel in the 2000s to join the club, doing so in only 383 sets, the second fewest needed by any Rebel to that point.
Garcia, an offensive stalwart, was a consistent four-year starter for Ole Miss, who led the team in at least one statistical category in three of her four seasons in Oxford, two times of which being kills. Garcia was the first student-athlete in the rally scoring era to join the club, and by the time she left the court, she was Ole Miss' leader in rally scoring kills with 1,130 and was eighth all-time in program history. She currently sits seventh all-time in rally scoring kills.
On the defensive end of the court, Garcia recorded 1,164 digs, which also was an Ole Miss rally scoring era high. Garcia also recorded over 100 total blocks for her career, while being one of the best servers on her team throughout her Ole Miss tenure. She hardly made mistakes when attacking, having the second fewest attack errors among her peers in the 1,000-1,000 club.
Garcia made playing volleyball appear second-nature as an undersized outside hitter. At 5-foot-9, Garcia wasn't the typical size for her position, yet she excelled at the position during all four years in Oxford. A leader on and off the court, Garcia was a selfless competitor throughout her Ole Miss tenure who emphasized victories over personal accolades.
Destination: Oxford
Garcia hadn't touched a volleyball in her life until seventh grade.
When she was growing up, there were no club teams for kids until they reached a certain age, so Garcia had to wait to begin competing. She was always interested in sports and was a capable athlete, so she gave it a shot with her middle school team.
Her love and appreciation for the sport grew as she did, and she continued to play through high school. She joined the heavily competitive Austin Junior Volleyball Club in her hometown, Austin, Texas, where she continued to thrive. It was with her club team that she garnered attention from college coaches, and the potential of playing at a higher level started to seem like a viable option.
She spent six years with Austin Juniors, whom she helped lead to a third-place finish in the U18 USAV Open Championships. Under head coach Al Bennett at Westlake High School, Garcia was a four-year letter winner and was named both the Duncanville and District MVP, while becoming the Picayune Athlete of the Year as a senior.
On top of her prowess in volleyball, Garcia was an excellent basketball player all four years of high school. As a junior, she was named the District MVP as a player for her high school team.
While she excelled at both sports, Garcia chose to stick to the path of volleyball. She said she preferred the culture and teamwork of volleyball, which ultimately helped her maintain the course as volleyball player. Once she had chosen to stick with volleyball, another big decision loomed: where she would attend school.
After five visits to different schools, Garcia had narrowed her selection to three possibilities, which were Miami, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. When it came to deciding, one thing about Oxford and Ole Miss stuck out to Garcia, which arguably was the strongest reason to join any collegiate team. Her future teammates would be the deciding factor.
"Meeting the team really set itself apart from anywhere else," Garcia said. "Of course, the campus and being part of the SEC, those were all big factors. But ultimately, it was really the girls that I met when I went on my recruiting visit."
Having chosen the Rebels, Garcia made the trek eastward to Mississippi for a new beginning, as well as a new challenge. The freshman outside hitter joined a program with two established athletes at the position in Jaime Burns and Erica Tricco. Head coach John Blair acknowledged Garcia's competitiveness before the season even began.
"Elena brings experience competitiveness, and a great desire to win," Blair said ahead of the 2001 season. "She's not used to sitting on the sidelines, so she will push for playing time and possibly a starting spot. We are excited to have her in our program."
She took the challenge presented to her in stride nearly immediately, becoming a starter from the jump. During her freshman season, she appeared 24 of Ole Miss' 25 matches, earning 20 starts along the way. She finished second on the team in kills and digs with 250 and 235, respectively. She was so dominant on both ends of the court, she accrued seven double-doubles, which was the most of all players who returned in 2002.
However, that season did bring change for Ole Miss volleyball. During the 2001 offseason, Blair had stepped down from his position as head coach after 16 seasons. He left an indelible mark on Ole Miss volleyball and left as the winningest head coach in program history.
Joe Getzin took rein of Ole Miss' volleyball program, and with his arrival brought a new vision. He had spent time as the head coach for Portland and Embry-Riddle, before spending two seasons an assistant at South Carolina. For Garcia, who was recruited and coached by Blair, it was bittersweet. She emphasized how important Blair was in her development but was also excited for a new era of her volleyball career.
"When coach Joe (Getzin) came in, I thought there was a renewed perspective of the sport," Garcia said. "He had a different communication style which brought the team together with fresh ideas."
After her successful freshman campaign, Garcia had established herself as the top outside hitter on the team. She was primed to have another standout season, which she delivered on.
Garcia proved to be the backbone of Ole Miss' squad, leading the team in kills with 280, digs with 291, and service aces with 27. She added nine double-doubles and surpassed the 500-mark in both kills and digs. She had her best performance against SEC opponent Tennessee, when she tied a career-high in kills with 22, and had that same amount of digs for a career best. Her breakthrough season helped Ole Miss return to double-digit wins for the season, with Getzin at the helm for the first time.
She credited how her freshman season helped prepare her for being a leader as a sophomore.
"Going into your sophomore year, you've got your freshman year under your belt, and you have your bearings," Garcia said. "The team chemistry and comradery also seemed stronger."
While the Rebels were in an adjustment period, Garcia had just begun to gain stride. The following year, as a junior, Garcia had improved once again on the offensive and defensive front, achieving her first season with at least 300 of both kills and digs. She paced the Rebels in kills with 373 and finished second in the dig race with 334. Her all-around play continued to excel when she collected an incredible 20 double-doubles.
She said her success should be shared with her team, from the coaches to her teammates to the trainers. Garcia acknowledged her skillset but also gave credit where it was due.
"It takes a team," Garcia said. "It takes a village to be successful at something. It's not a solo sport. I was just aggressive on the ball and had no fear. I had a good eye on the other team as far as finding the blind spots, driving it down the line and reading the other team."
Entering her final year of eligibility in 2004, Garcia had positioned herself in a prime spot to become Ole Miss' seventh member of the 1,000-1,000 club. She needed 97 kills and 140 digs to hit the 1,000 marks in each category.
"You have to be very physical and a smart player to get the kill as often as she does," Getzin said ahead of the 2004 season. "She's always putting herself in a position to come up with the dig and help the team, and that says a lot about her drive to succeed."
Just like Argue, the most recent member of the 1,000-1,000 club at the time, Garcia reached 1,000 career digs first during a match in September against South Carolina, recording a team-leading 11. Despite needing almost 50 more digs than kills, Garcia had 145 just 13 matches into the 2004 season. This accolade had shown a developed appreciation for defense in Garcia's mind as she matured through her time in Oxford.
"As much of a high you get from getting a kill, I feel like the high is equal when you dig a tough ball," Garcia said.
Around this time, Garcia had made a position change, switching to libero to assist the Rebels with their defense and passing. After spending a few matches at libero, she switched back to outside hitter mid-match against LSU to help Ole Miss defeat the Tigers in Baton Rouge. For Ole Miss, it was its first time beating LSU on the road since 1998.
The next match, once again starting at outside hitter and against South Carolina, Garcia broke through. With her first kill of the third set, Garcia hit 97 kills for the season and etched her name into the Ole Miss record book.
"It definitely is a special accomplishment," Garcia said. "You dedicate your whole life and all your time and energy into the sport. While I was never focused on any sort of recognition or any kind of rewards or anything like that, it feels good to have accomplished that in college. It's something I'm proud of. I still have my ball in an acrylic case. It'll be something cool to tell my kids someday."
Garcia finished that season leading all Rebels with 304 digs, while tallying 227 kills. Garcia proved to be a bright spot on what was a difficult start to the 21st century for Ole Miss volleyball, and her name will remain synonymous with what it meant to be a Rebel.
Life After Volleyball
Garcia would go on to graduate from Ole Miss with a degree in family and consumer sciences under the umbrella department of fashion. She spent the first few postgraduate years working with both Saks Fifth Avenue and a high-end women's boutique called Intermix, where she styled for photoshoots and production on fashion shows.
However, her career path would ultimately lead her in a completely different direction. Her jobs in fashion would lead her into the realms of event production and hospitality. Specifically, she began working in the music entertainment industry.
She began working for a company called C3 Presents, which is owned by Live Nation Entertainment. In her day-to-day, Garcia works on producing festivals around the world, such as Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo. She's presently the head of sales and memberships on the premium client services with C3.
Outside of her career, Garcia is married to Andrew Slaton, and the couple has two sons, Levi and Ledger. She also enjoys attending the festivals she works on putting together. Additionally, Garcia has maintained a love for sports and activities of all kinds to this day.
"I think there is nothing better to teach you about the real world than playing sports," Garcia said. "From time management to people skills, to working with all different types of people … It's all part of real life."
When reminiscing on the time she spent at Ole Miss, the people continue to shine through as the brightest spots in her memory. While she was the first Rebel in the 21st century to join the 1,000-1,000 club, Garcia remained humble, aware and thankful for the people who helped her do so.
"I'm still best friends with some of the people I met from Ole Miss," Garcia said. "I do think there is something particularly magical about Ole Miss. Getting to play on the team and spending countless hours with the people, you really develop a relationship like nothing else. I have such fond memories and Ole Miss holds a special place to me. Ole Miss is the best."
Comprised of athletes from the 1980's to as recently as 2017, Ole Miss' 1,000-1,000 club honors players who record at least 1,000 tallies in two statistical categories throughout their careers, generally kills and digs, showcasing excellence in both offense and defense.
After seven seasons without an addition to the 1,000-1,000 club, Elena Garcia Slaton would break through to become the seventh member in 2004. Susan Argue, Ole Miss' sixth member, achieved her recognition in 1997. Garcia is the only Rebel in the 2000s to join the club, doing so in only 383 sets, the second fewest needed by any Rebel to that point.
Garcia, an offensive stalwart, was a consistent four-year starter for Ole Miss, who led the team in at least one statistical category in three of her four seasons in Oxford, two times of which being kills. Garcia was the first student-athlete in the rally scoring era to join the club, and by the time she left the court, she was Ole Miss' leader in rally scoring kills with 1,130 and was eighth all-time in program history. She currently sits seventh all-time in rally scoring kills.
On the defensive end of the court, Garcia recorded 1,164 digs, which also was an Ole Miss rally scoring era high. Garcia also recorded over 100 total blocks for her career, while being one of the best servers on her team throughout her Ole Miss tenure. She hardly made mistakes when attacking, having the second fewest attack errors among her peers in the 1,000-1,000 club.
Garcia made playing volleyball appear second-nature as an undersized outside hitter. At 5-foot-9, Garcia wasn't the typical size for her position, yet she excelled at the position during all four years in Oxford. A leader on and off the court, Garcia was a selfless competitor throughout her Ole Miss tenure who emphasized victories over personal accolades.
Destination: Oxford
Garcia hadn't touched a volleyball in her life until seventh grade.
When she was growing up, there were no club teams for kids until they reached a certain age, so Garcia had to wait to begin competing. She was always interested in sports and was a capable athlete, so she gave it a shot with her middle school team.
Her love and appreciation for the sport grew as she did, and she continued to play through high school. She joined the heavily competitive Austin Junior Volleyball Club in her hometown, Austin, Texas, where she continued to thrive. It was with her club team that she garnered attention from college coaches, and the potential of playing at a higher level started to seem like a viable option.
She spent six years with Austin Juniors, whom she helped lead to a third-place finish in the U18 USAV Open Championships. Under head coach Al Bennett at Westlake High School, Garcia was a four-year letter winner and was named both the Duncanville and District MVP, while becoming the Picayune Athlete of the Year as a senior.
On top of her prowess in volleyball, Garcia was an excellent basketball player all four years of high school. As a junior, she was named the District MVP as a player for her high school team.
While she excelled at both sports, Garcia chose to stick to the path of volleyball. She said she preferred the culture and teamwork of volleyball, which ultimately helped her maintain the course as volleyball player. Once she had chosen to stick with volleyball, another big decision loomed: where she would attend school.
After five visits to different schools, Garcia had narrowed her selection to three possibilities, which were Miami, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. When it came to deciding, one thing about Oxford and Ole Miss stuck out to Garcia, which arguably was the strongest reason to join any collegiate team. Her future teammates would be the deciding factor.
"Meeting the team really set itself apart from anywhere else," Garcia said. "Of course, the campus and being part of the SEC, those were all big factors. But ultimately, it was really the girls that I met when I went on my recruiting visit."
Having chosen the Rebels, Garcia made the trek eastward to Mississippi for a new beginning, as well as a new challenge. The freshman outside hitter joined a program with two established athletes at the position in Jaime Burns and Erica Tricco. Head coach John Blair acknowledged Garcia's competitiveness before the season even began.
"Elena brings experience competitiveness, and a great desire to win," Blair said ahead of the 2001 season. "She's not used to sitting on the sidelines, so she will push for playing time and possibly a starting spot. We are excited to have her in our program."
She took the challenge presented to her in stride nearly immediately, becoming a starter from the jump. During her freshman season, she appeared 24 of Ole Miss' 25 matches, earning 20 starts along the way. She finished second on the team in kills and digs with 250 and 235, respectively. She was so dominant on both ends of the court, she accrued seven double-doubles, which was the most of all players who returned in 2002.
However, that season did bring change for Ole Miss volleyball. During the 2001 offseason, Blair had stepped down from his position as head coach after 16 seasons. He left an indelible mark on Ole Miss volleyball and left as the winningest head coach in program history.
Joe Getzin took rein of Ole Miss' volleyball program, and with his arrival brought a new vision. He had spent time as the head coach for Portland and Embry-Riddle, before spending two seasons an assistant at South Carolina. For Garcia, who was recruited and coached by Blair, it was bittersweet. She emphasized how important Blair was in her development but was also excited for a new era of her volleyball career.
"When coach Joe (Getzin) came in, I thought there was a renewed perspective of the sport," Garcia said. "He had a different communication style which brought the team together with fresh ideas."
After her successful freshman campaign, Garcia had established herself as the top outside hitter on the team. She was primed to have another standout season, which she delivered on.
Garcia proved to be the backbone of Ole Miss' squad, leading the team in kills with 280, digs with 291, and service aces with 27. She added nine double-doubles and surpassed the 500-mark in both kills and digs. She had her best performance against SEC opponent Tennessee, when she tied a career-high in kills with 22, and had that same amount of digs for a career best. Her breakthrough season helped Ole Miss return to double-digit wins for the season, with Getzin at the helm for the first time.
She credited how her freshman season helped prepare her for being a leader as a sophomore.
"Going into your sophomore year, you've got your freshman year under your belt, and you have your bearings," Garcia said. "The team chemistry and comradery also seemed stronger."
While the Rebels were in an adjustment period, Garcia had just begun to gain stride. The following year, as a junior, Garcia had improved once again on the offensive and defensive front, achieving her first season with at least 300 of both kills and digs. She paced the Rebels in kills with 373 and finished second in the dig race with 334. Her all-around play continued to excel when she collected an incredible 20 double-doubles.
She said her success should be shared with her team, from the coaches to her teammates to the trainers. Garcia acknowledged her skillset but also gave credit where it was due.
"It takes a team," Garcia said. "It takes a village to be successful at something. It's not a solo sport. I was just aggressive on the ball and had no fear. I had a good eye on the other team as far as finding the blind spots, driving it down the line and reading the other team."
Entering her final year of eligibility in 2004, Garcia had positioned herself in a prime spot to become Ole Miss' seventh member of the 1,000-1,000 club. She needed 97 kills and 140 digs to hit the 1,000 marks in each category.
"You have to be very physical and a smart player to get the kill as often as she does," Getzin said ahead of the 2004 season. "She's always putting herself in a position to come up with the dig and help the team, and that says a lot about her drive to succeed."
Just like Argue, the most recent member of the 1,000-1,000 club at the time, Garcia reached 1,000 career digs first during a match in September against South Carolina, recording a team-leading 11. Despite needing almost 50 more digs than kills, Garcia had 145 just 13 matches into the 2004 season. This accolade had shown a developed appreciation for defense in Garcia's mind as she matured through her time in Oxford.
"As much of a high you get from getting a kill, I feel like the high is equal when you dig a tough ball," Garcia said.
Around this time, Garcia had made a position change, switching to libero to assist the Rebels with their defense and passing. After spending a few matches at libero, she switched back to outside hitter mid-match against LSU to help Ole Miss defeat the Tigers in Baton Rouge. For Ole Miss, it was its first time beating LSU on the road since 1998.
The next match, once again starting at outside hitter and against South Carolina, Garcia broke through. With her first kill of the third set, Garcia hit 97 kills for the season and etched her name into the Ole Miss record book.
"It definitely is a special accomplishment," Garcia said. "You dedicate your whole life and all your time and energy into the sport. While I was never focused on any sort of recognition or any kind of rewards or anything like that, it feels good to have accomplished that in college. It's something I'm proud of. I still have my ball in an acrylic case. It'll be something cool to tell my kids someday."
Garcia finished that season leading all Rebels with 304 digs, while tallying 227 kills. Garcia proved to be a bright spot on what was a difficult start to the 21st century for Ole Miss volleyball, and her name will remain synonymous with what it meant to be a Rebel.
Life After Volleyball
Garcia would go on to graduate from Ole Miss with a degree in family and consumer sciences under the umbrella department of fashion. She spent the first few postgraduate years working with both Saks Fifth Avenue and a high-end women's boutique called Intermix, where she styled for photoshoots and production on fashion shows.
However, her career path would ultimately lead her in a completely different direction. Her jobs in fashion would lead her into the realms of event production and hospitality. Specifically, she began working in the music entertainment industry.
She began working for a company called C3 Presents, which is owned by Live Nation Entertainment. In her day-to-day, Garcia works on producing festivals around the world, such as Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo. She's presently the head of sales and memberships on the premium client services with C3.
Outside of her career, Garcia is married to Andrew Slaton, and the couple has two sons, Levi and Ledger. She also enjoys attending the festivals she works on putting together. Additionally, Garcia has maintained a love for sports and activities of all kinds to this day.
"I think there is nothing better to teach you about the real world than playing sports," Garcia said. "From time management to people skills, to working with all different types of people … It's all part of real life."
When reminiscing on the time she spent at Ole Miss, the people continue to shine through as the brightest spots in her memory. While she was the first Rebel in the 21st century to join the 1,000-1,000 club, Garcia remained humble, aware and thankful for the people who helped her do so.
"I'm still best friends with some of the people I met from Ole Miss," Garcia said. "I do think there is something particularly magical about Ole Miss. Getting to play on the team and spending countless hours with the people, you really develop a relationship like nothing else. I have such fond memories and Ole Miss holds a special place to me. Ole Miss is the best."
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