University of San Francisco Athletics

Melanie Kaiser-Daggs was born on August 20, 1970 in Long Beach, CA and attended her local Woodrow Wilson High School. She was a three-time All-City volleyball selection at her high school, and named to the All-CIF and Reebok All-American teams. She was named her high school’s Top Defender and Best Server. 
 
As a USF freshman, Kaiser-Daggs played in all 26 matches and ranked second on the team in kills (204) and kills average (2.4). A strong hitter with incredible power, Kaiser-Daggs earned First Team All-WCC and team MVP honors as a sophomore. She led USF in seven categories: including kills, attack percentage, and digs. Her 36 kills against Portland State set a new single-match record. Melanie was named All-WCC for the second consecutive year in 1990. Her 451 kills established a USF single-season record and her 371 digs was second. She finished her USF career first in kills (1,381) and digs (1,187).

She served as the Senior Class President and was named to the Academic Honor Roll four times. In 1992, she received the Anne Dolan Award presented to USF’s top female athlete, and the Green and Gold Club Loyalty Award. She graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Finance.

She began working in Sales and Purchasing for Mitsubishi International, at 50 California St. On July 1, 1993, a disgruntled businessman named Gian Luigi Ferri walked into the law offices of Petit and Martin, at 101 California, and opened fire, killing eight people and wounding six others. Daggs saw a lot of the exterior scene first-hand. "I was directly across the street," she said. "I remember hearing a bunch of sirens for about 30 minutes. We were on the 30th floor. I kept peering down and noticed the SWAT team moving in. It just kind of hit me: that was what I wanted to do. I was always grateful I got the job at Mitsubishi after leaving USF, but I knew it just wasn't for me. I felt like a caged tiger in the office.” Daggs left Mitsubishi, and went to the Police Academy at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, and graduated five months later. She worked as a patrol officer for two years, as an evidence technician, and then in 1998 became a detective, investigating sexual assault and child abuse cases with the city of Richmond's Family Services Unit (SF Gate).

"I've never been sorry I went into law enforcement," Daggs said. "There's something new every day. I do miss working on the street, and investigation can be really lengthy and tiring. But I enjoy it because you have such an influence on families, and total control over the outcome of cases, to put rapists and child molesters in jail. You get so many cases, one after the other. You've got to keep focused on the fact that each family needs you. People really want a connection. You've got to listen to them." Daggs said her athletic background "probably has helped me to really stay focused and be disciplined, especially when I was with the SWAT team, when people would get in your face and yell at you. I think athletics helped me learn to be calm (SF Gate)." She is the only female member of the Richmond, CA SWAT team.