Melissa Jones, who played for the Baylor Lady Bears from 2008 to 2011 and later joined the Baylor volleyball team for the 2012 season, died Friday at her home in Commerce City, Colorado. She was 36.
Her mother, Kathy Jones, confirmed the death to KWTX and said no cause has been released. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Kathy Jones said her daughter stayed close with former Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, and Mulkey said Jones left her mark on Baylor University, not just women’s basketball. Jones was born Aug. 22, 1989, in Riverside, California, and later made her home in Colorado.
Kathy Jones said her daughter was “my most treasured gift from God along with her 3 brothers,” and added that Baylor was “the time of her life.” She said Jones had “so many fond memories” from Waco, where she made many close friends and kept in touch over the years.
Mulkey called Jones a fan favorite and said she was loved by the entire Waco community. “Everything she did for us was full speed,” Mulkey said. “She played the game the way every player should—always had energy, played hard, and was a great leader.”
The family obituary said Waco became a second home to Jones, who is survived by her mother, her grandmothers, and her brothers Matthew Jones, Mark Jones and Michael Jones. She was preceded in death by her father, William Jones Jr., and her grandfathers Wally Kimball and William Jones Sr.
Jones’ death closes the life of a player remembered in Waco for intensity, loyalty and the way she stayed tied to Baylor long after her playing days ended. For the people who knew her there, that connection appears to have lasted as long as her career itself.
