864 Elite Volleyball Club Leadership
Club leadership:
Thomas Crumpton, Club Director
tommy@tigernet.comTommy is currently an assistant varsity volleyball coach at Pickens High School where in the past 3 years the Blue Flame are 81-25, including winning the 2024 4A State Championship and two 4A region titles. Previously, he was an assistant volleyball coach at Pickens Middle School for 10 years where he helped lead the team to 8 consecutive undefeated seasons with an amazing 130-0 record. During that time the Lady Sparks won 9 division titles and 9 tournament titles. He has also coached the last 9 years in club volleyball including 2 National teams. His 13u team in 2021 climbed as high as #2 in the nation. His 14u team in 2022 reached a ranking of #3 in the nation with a record of 41-1. He has been married to Coach Crumpton for 15 years, and they have one Goldendoodle named Josie.
Ken Vanderhoof, Club Director
upstatecoachken@gmail.comKen brings over 30 years of volleyball experience, including more than 20 years dedicated to coaching. He currently serves as the assistant varsity coach at Pickens High School and has held coaching roles across all levels of the sport. Since relocating to the Upstate in the fall of 2019, his school and club teams have amassed an impressive 399 wins to just 58 losses, including a 4A State Championship, multiple region titles, a 5th & 9th place finish at AAU Nationals, and a national ranking as high as #2. Ken believes great coaching starts with creating a strong culture of mutual commitment, effort, and support on and off the court. He emphasizes the importance of trust, competitive intensity, humility, sportsmanship and team-first mentality as keys to long-term success. While he certainly loves to win, his competitive drive is most evident in how much he hates to lose.
Mellie Crumpton, Club Director
coachcrumpton@gmail.comCoach Crumpton is in her fourth year as the Pickens High School varsity volleyball head coach. In her first three seasons with the Blue Flame, her teams were 81-25, including winning the 2024 4A State Championship and two 4A region titles. Her teams have also recorded upsets over 5A State Champions Dorman, Mauldin, River Bluff, and Lexington. In her 10 seasons as the head volleyball coach at Pickens Middle School, she had a record of 161-6 with 9 Regular Season Championships and 9 Tournament Championships and also a winning streak of 130-0 that continued into 2023. Coach Crumpton was also named the 2020-21 Middle School Coach of the Year by the SCACA. In the last three club seasons, her teams have won an incredible 18 gold titles including the Beast of the Southeast and the Southeast Qualifier Invitational. In 2021 her 13U club team finished the regular season with a 40-0 record with 7 gold championships including the club’s first ever Palmetto Region title. That team also went on to finish tied for 5th at AAU Nationals. Coach Crumpton played at Pickens high helping lead her team to three State Championships – two as a player and one as an assistant coach. Coach Crumpton earned an athletic scholarship to play D1 volleyball at UNCA where she was a four year starter as a six-rotation outside hitter. She has been coaching for over 25 years, including club, middle school, JV, high school, and college. Coach Crumpton has a true passion for the sport that she strives to pass along to each of the players she is blessed to coach. Her motto for the past 12 seasons has been “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” “I give my everything as a coach and I expect the same from my players. To me it all begins with developing solid fundamental skills. We practice hard, we play hard, and we grow together on and off the court. We become one big, solid volleyball family. That is what 864 Elite is all about.”
Club
2024-2025 864 Elite 14U Head Coach (#3 finish in region)
2023-2024 864 Elite 16U Head Coach (#2 finish in region)
2022-2023 864 Elite 15U Head Coach (#2 finish in region)
2021-2022 864 Elite 14U Head Coach (42-1 Record, #46 final national ranking)
2020-2021 Crossfire 13U Head Coach (#5th in Premier at AAU Nationals, #20 final national ranking)
2019-2020 Crossfire 13U Head Coach (Season cut short by COVID)
2018-2019 Crossfire 15U Head Coach (#67 in Club at AAU Nationals)
2017-2018 Crossfire 14U Head Coach (#5 finish in region)
2016-2017 Crossfire 13U Head Coach (#2 finish in region)
2015-2016 Atown Volleyball Academy 15/16s Head Coach
2012-2013 Carolina One Junior Program
2000-2001 Foothills 13U Head Coach (#2 finish in region)
1999-2000 Foothills 15U Head Coach (#1 finish in region, highest finish at Nationals of any prior SC team)
School
2024 Pickens High Varsity Head Coach (4A State Champions, 26-15)
2023 Pickens High Varsity Head Coach (Region Champs, 24-6-1)
2022 Pickens High Varsity Head Coach (Region Champs, 31-4)
2021 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 16-0)
2020 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 14-0)
2019 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 20-0)
2018 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 15-0)
2017 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 21-0)
2016 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 15-0)
2015 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 14-0)
2014 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 15-0)
2013 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Runner-Up, 15-4)
2012 Pickens Middle Head Coach (Reg Season Champs, Tournament Champs, 16-2)
2003 South Wesleyan Assistant Collegiate Coach
2002 Pickens High Head Assistant Varsity Coach (State Champions)
2002 Pickens High JV Head Coach (15-0)
1999 Liberty High JV Head Coach (15-0)
