Former Missouri State All-American Carly Thomas joined volleyball staff at her alma mater as assistant coach in August 2019. She joins her older sister Sara Thomas-Dietrich as the first set of siblings to coach together for the MSU volleyball program.
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Thomas entered the college coaching ranks with MSU’s beach volleyball program for its inaugural spring 2018 season, helping the Bears to a 7-10 record, and transitioned back to the indoor game later that year as an assistant at Southeast Missouri State. In her one season at SEMO, Thomas coached setters and was responsible for travel, film exchange, home match management and academic development.
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As a player at Missouri State from 2010-13, Thomas started 107 of her 124 career matches at setter and earned first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference honors each of her final three seasons. An AVCA All-America honorable mention pick in 2013, Thomas still ranks second in MSU history with 4,708 career assists and 14th with 1,201 digs, adding 498 kills on .257 hitting, 177 blocks and four triple-doubles during her time with the Bears.
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After her MSU playing career, Thomas spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Ozark High School under former MSU volleyball player Adeana (McAfee) Brewer, earning Large Class Assistant Coach of the Year honors from the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association in 2016. She also spent time on the sidelines coaching club and Community Olympic Development Program teams.
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Originally from Swansea, Ill., Thomas graduated from Missouri State in May 2015 with a degree in sport and park administration.
