Nov. 7, 2011
ST. LOUIS -
Missouri State sophomore setter Carly Thomas won her third Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week award of the season and Kaitlin Jaeger was honored with her first Freshman of the Week distinction Monday, the league announced in its weekly volleyball release.
Thomas posted consecutive 50-assist, 20-dig matches in wins at Drake and Creighton, recording a rare statistical feat in Missouri State's storied volleyball history. Thomas' two 50/20 totals were the 11th and 12th such matches in school history (1,560 matches), just the fifth and sixth occurrences in a four-set match, and only the second time (and first since 1995) that a player has posted consecutive 50/20 matches.
The Swansea, Ill., native averaged 12.88 assists per set (which is 0.54 ahead of the national leader), led the Bears with 5.38 digs, and added 0.75 kills and 0.62 blocks per set. Of Missouri State's 146 points, Thomas either scored or assisted on 114 while leading MSU to team averages of 15.38 kills and 14.50 assists per set, which also both rank above the NCAA leader.
Friday at Drake, Thomas had 53 assists and a then-career-high 21 digs, only to surpass that total with 22 digs Saturday at Creighton. She also had 50 assists and four kills on a .500 hitting percentage while moving into 10th in MSU history in career assists as the Bears overtook the Bluejays for second in the MVC standings.
Jaeger led the Bears in kills (24), kills per set (3.00), hitting percentage (.347) and blocking average (0.88/set) while adding eight digs and a service ace in victories at Drake and Creighton.
The Webb City product posted a career high with 17 kills and hit .355 Saturday at Creighton as the Bears won 3-1 in the showdown for second place in the MVC standings. The rookie converted 54.8 percent of her attacks into kills against the Bluejays while also establishing career bests in digs (5) and blocks (4). Friday at Drake, Jaeger hit .333 with seven kills, three digs and three blocks in MSU's 3-1 win.
The Bears (18-7, 11-3 MVC) host Evansville at 7 p.m. Friday and Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. Saturday to close out the home portion of the 2011 schedule. MSU finishes the regular season the following week at Indiana State and Illinois State, and can secure the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with a 3-1 record in those four matches.
