Missouri State senior Sara Thomas has won the inaugural Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year award, it was announced at the State Farm MVC Tournament banquet Thursday evening.

A right side hitter from Swansea, Ill., Thomas leads Missouri State and ranks fourth in the conference with 1.22 blocks per game, and is second on the Bears and 15th in the league with a 3.51 digs per game average. She is the only player in the MVC averaging one block and three digs per game. She also boasts a .962 service reception percentage for an MSU defense that surrenders the fewest aces in the MVC.

Additionally, Thomas has recorded the only kill-block-dig triple-double in the MVC this season and one of 12 nationally. She accomplished that feat with 11 kills, 11 blocks and 19 digs against Wichita State on Oct. 5. She has come within two blocks of a triple-double on two more occasions this season.

Thomas has accumulated 1,103 career digs to rank 13th all-time at MSU, and is three games away from appearing in the top 10 for career games played.