Missouri State

The third senior on this year's team, Sara Thomas will provide experience and the ability to play any position on the for the Bears in her final season . . . As a junior (2006): Thomas played in every game with 35 starts for the Bears, putting away 239 kills and ranking second on the team with 128 assists (1.01/game) and 356 digs (2.80/game) ... She posted two triples-doubles, getting 12 kills, 10 assists and 26 digs at home against Wichita State on Oct. 27, and duplicating that effort with an 11-kill, 11-assist, 17-dig match against the Shockers in the MVC Tournament (11/24) ... Her performance against WSU in October was the first MSU triple-double of any kind since 2002 ... Also had a season-high eight blocks in the Wichita State MVC Tourney match to finish two blocks shy of a quadruple-double ... Tallied a season-best 17 kills at Illinois State (9/17) ... Was named to the MVC all-tournament team after her triple-double versus WSU and a 10-kill, 20-dig match against Evansville that same day ... Reached double figures in kills seven times and topped the 10-dig mark on 17 occasions ... Recorded a block in 32 matches and finished with 86 on the year for a 0.68 per game average ... As a sophomore (2005): Thomas started seven of the 32 matches she played as a sophomore for the Bears . . . She posted eight kills against North Dakota State, UMKC and Creighton . . . Had a great match against Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, hitting .600 with seven kills on 10 attempts, with just one error . . . Had a solid match against Southern Illinois with six kills, four assists, three digs and three block assists . . . Hit .245 for the season and contributed 93 kills . . . As a freshman (2004): Thomas saw action in all 30 matches with 15 starts, and played in 97 of 120 games . . . She was fifth on the team in digs with 204 . . . She had an impressive performance in a win over Creighton (9/25), recording a career-high 12 kills and adding 15 digs, three blocks, one service ace and one assist . . . She also played well against 11th-ranked Hawaii (9/9) with 14 digs, nine kills, five blocks and a season-high five set assists.

Thomas helped guide Althoff Catholic High to four straight conference championships and a fourth place state finish her senior year . . . She earned all-conference and all-area recognition all four years . . . Was second team all-state her junior year . . . Thomas was named first team all-metro, all-tournament for state and all-state her senior year . . . She started and lettered all four years . . . Had a .452 hitting average and a .608 service average her senior year . . . Thomas also participated in basketball and track and field.