Bears Host #23 Creighton Saturday in Regular Season Finale
2011 First-team all-MVC 2011 AVCA All-Central Region honorable mention 2011 U.S. Women's National A2 Program MVC Player of the Week 9/26/11 • 10/10/11 • 11/7/11 2010 MVC All-Freshman Team MVC Freshman of the Week 11/1/10 • 11/15/10
2011 (Sophomore) • First-team all-MVC and honorable mention AVCA All-Central Region selection after leading the conference and ranking 25th nationally with 11.23 assists per set • Started all 31 matches and played in all 111 sets for the Bears • Led the team with 23 aces while adding 128 kills (1.15/set) on .223 hitting, 345 digs (3.11/set) and 47 blocks (0.42/set) • Posted 22 assist-dig double-doubles, the most for an MSU player since 1990, and a triple-double with 10 kills, 48 assists and 18 digs in the regular season finale at Illinois State (11/19) • Three-time MVC Player of the Week • Won the award Sept. 26 with averages of 1.43 kills, 12.00 assists and 3.57 digs against Wichita State and Stephen F. Austin, then again Oct. 10 after 1.57 kills on .360 hitting, 11.43 assists, 3.29 digs and 0.71 blocks in wins over Creighton and Drake • Added a third player of the week Nov. 7 after posting consecutive 50-assist, 20-dig matches against Drake and Creighton, the 11th and 12th such matches in MSU history • Finished the season with 2,086 career assists to rank eighth in school history. A repeat of her 1,247 assists in 2011 would place her second at the conclusion of her junior year • Had 14 matches of at least 40 assists with a high of 58 against No. 12 UNI (10/28) • Served multiple aces five times with a season-best of three versus South Dakota State (9/10) • Missouri State finished the season 25th nationally in assists and 26th in kills per set with Thomas running the offense
2010 (Freshman) • MVC All-Freshman team member • Two-time MVC Freshman of the Week • Started 14 matches and played in 108 sets, leading the team with 839 assists and 7.77 per set • Won Valley honors Nov. 1 for dishing out 49 assists with 14 digs and a .400 hitting percentage at Wichita State (10/29) • MVC Freshman of the Week again Nov. 15 following sweeps at SIU and Evansville where she hit .714 with 10 kills on 14 swings, 76 assists, 10 digs and seven blocks in six sets • Led team with 24 service aces, including four at SIUE (9/28) • Flirted with a triple-double at Bradley (9/18) with 47 assists, 15 digs and seven kills • Hit .310 for the season with 70 kills (0.65/set) • Averaged 2.03 digs per set with 219 total to go with 39 blocks • Had at least four kills in eight separate matches, hitting .364 or better each time and playing error-free in six of those • Scooped at least 10 digs five times, had multiple aces seven times and multiple blocks 12 times • Spent part of May 2011 with the U.S. Women's National A2 Program on a roster comprised of 36 of the nation's top players with college eligibility remaining
Background • Four-time all-state in Illinois during her career at Althoff Catholic High, earning first-team honors twice and second-team and honorable mention one time each • South Seven Conference MVP as a senior • Featured in a 2009 cover story in ESPN Rise Magazine, a publication devoted to high school sports around the nation • Competed for the USA Volleyball Youth National Team in 2009, where she was named the best setter at the NORCECA Youth Continental Championships in Puerto Rico, leading the United States to a gold-medal finish
Personal • Born July 12, 1992, in Clayton, Mo. • Daughter of Tim and Liz Thomas • Sister Sara Thomas (2004-07) and aunt Kathy Crotty Wuller (1983-86) both played at Missouri State • Sport and Park Administration major
