Former Crusader Thomas goes out in fine style
A 2004 Althoff graduate, Thomas was a senior on the 2007 team at Missouri State University. Both team-wise and individually, she finished on a positive note.
"It hasn't really sunk in that my college volleyball career is over," said Thomas, daughter of Tim and Liz Thomas of Swansea. "I still live with the girls and they're all lifting weights and I'm not, but I'm going to be a student assistant (coach) in the fall."When I'm sitting on the sideline not wearing the jersey and not warming up, that's when it's going to hit me. But I'm still going to be part of the team."
As a senior, Thomas won the inaugural Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year award. She and fellow senior Katelyn Panzau (Belleville West) both earned first-team all-conference honors. A right-side hitter, the 6-foot-1 Thomas had a team-high 142 blocks (1.23 per game) and was second on the team in digs (3.97, 3.45 per game) and kills (368, 3.20 per game).
She was the only player in the MVC to average one block and three digs per game and recorded the only kill-block-big triple-double in the conference this year (one of 12 nationally).
"I didn't even know they were doing the (defensive) award until three days before our banquet when Coach (Melissa) Stokes came up to me and Katelyn and said 'ST, you're in the running for defensive player of the year and Katelyn, you're in the running for player of the year.' I was like 'what is that?' because I had never heard of it," Thomas said, laughing.
"They might change the name later on when they figure out what all it entails, but it's for a six-rotation player who does everything well.
"It was amazing and I wasn't expecting it at all, but my play my senior year compared to the other three years was just night and day. It was an awesome experience, but I couldn't have done it without Katelyn and the other girls on my team."
Being healthy-combined with the motivation of knowing that it was her last season-enabled Thomas to take her game to a new level.
"I think I trained harder for my senior year and I ate healthy and did extra stuff," she said. "I pushed myself and I didn't have any injuries."
Thomas had a history of ankle problems well before arriving at Missouri State.
"I had my first ankle sprain in grade school playing basketball and it just built up," she said.
"In high school, I had a third-degree sprain. (Former teammate) Amy Sauerwein's mom was my physical therapist and she told me I needed to get in a boot, but this was at club nationals and I was like 'no way.' That was my junior year and that kind of put it over the edge. My senior year in basketball season I sprained it again and I was out for a month.
"Finally my sophomore year of college we were playing Evansville and a girl came underneath the net and I came down on one foot. I sprained it once and then I sprained it again. Then I had to have surgery and I have nice big scar from that. I was out all spring season going into my junior year-I could swim and I could walk, but it had to be on flat surfaces.
"I started getting back into my routine my junior year by the conference tournament and I made the all-tournament team. I honestly think that carried over into my senior year and it gave me the confidence that I can play with these girls at a higher level. I wanted to prove that to everybody and I think I did."
Missouri State posted a 25-8 record in 2007, including a 14-4 mark in the conference. The Bears lost 31-29, 30-20, 31-29 to No. 13 Oregon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"We've been to the NCAA Tournament three times in a row and my junior year we went to the second round," Thomas said.
"Against Oregon, we only lost by two points in the first and third games. We played hard and we outblocked them. It was a good fun game and I was really sad when it was over.
"I had a great career and I wouldn't change anything. I had a great relationship with my coaches and my teammates."
In December, Thomas will graduate with a degree in hospitality and restaurant administration.
"I'm thinking about going to grad school because I don't want to leave Springfield," she said. "My little sister Abby is going to be the manager this coming fall and my sister Carly (an Althoff junior who has already committed to Missouri State) will be there in 2010, so I want to stick around.
"I have a great job (as an intern) with a company called Delaware North Sport Services at the Springfield Cardinals' stadium. I work mostly in the luxury boxes doing suite attending, which is just serving in the boxes, and I do some suite running and I cater. I do in-seat services, where people buy certain tickets and they get all they can eat and drink. It's amazing and I love the people I work with."
Thomas will have no problem staying busy, but admits she'll miss playing volleyball on a competitive level.
"I was thinking about going over to Finland to play for a little while, but I decided against it because I would have to leave in the middle of August and I want to finish school," Thomas said. "My best friend Erin O'Connor (a former Missouri State player) is actually going over there. If I don't go to grad school, I would want to go over and play in Europe."
