Missouri State’s Sara Thomas and Shayla Patrick were named the Missouri Valley Conference Player and Freshman of the Week today in the season’s first set of weekly league volleyball awards.

Their efforts also helped the Bears earn some national recognition this week as the team received a pair of votes in the AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, good for a No. 41 national ranking if the poll were extended.

A senior from Swansea, Ill., Thomas was named MVP of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational after averaging 3.79 kills and 4.07 digs per game in MSU 4-0 championship run. She committed just 13 errors in 14 games to hit .357 (53-13-112), and also totaled 15 blocks for a 1.07 per game average while leading the Bears with five aces.

Thomas saved her best for last, recording a career-best 19 kills in MSU’s 3-2 comeback victory over Sacramento State in the title match. She had five kills in the fifth game, and hit .448 (15-2-29) in the final three games of that match to lead the comeback. Thomas also reached the 15-dig mark three times in four matches.

Patrick led Missouri State in attack efficiency and blocking and was named to the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational all-tournament team. The Solon, Ohio, native totaled 38 kills against only nine errors on 77 swings for a .377 hitting figure, and posted 18 blocks to average 1.29 per game.

She hit at least .292 in each of the four matches, including 11 kills on 20 attempts versus Tulsa, 10 kills against Sacramento State and nine kills with only one error in the Delaware State match. Patrick also had matches with five blocks in three games against UMKC in the season opener and seven blocks in the win over Sacramento State.

Thomas, Patrick and the rest of the Bears journey to East Lansing, Mich., this Friday and Saturday for matches against Michigan State, Florida State and Kansas in the Spartan Invitational.