Pinecrest's Megan Thomas recently signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball career at the next level this fall for the Cape Fear Community College Sea Devils.
"I have always put my heart into volleyball," said Thomas. "It is my favorite of all the sports and I just don't know what I would do if I was not able to play it for the next few years."
Over her career as a setter for Pinecrest and legendary head coach Barbara Foxx, Thomas progressed from a capable freshman co-setter to a game-changing team leader.
During her senior campaign Thomas tallied 824 assists, giving her 1,815 for her career. She also led the Lady Patriots with 354 service points and 59 aces.
As the team's top setter, the multiple-time all-league selection helped guide the 2012-13 Patriots to a trip to the fourth round of the playoffs and an overall record of 26-4.
Having coached at Pinecrest for 35 years, Foxx has seen several quality setters come and go. The second-winningest coach in NCHSAA volleyball history, Foxx rates Thomas among the best to play as a Patriot along with Ashley Austin (from the PHS 1988 state championship squad), Jennifer McNeil (from the school's 1992 state title team), Christi Moore, Destonie Pietz and Morgan Ridge.
"Megan had an excellent career here at Pinecrest," said Foxx. "She was more than just a setter for the program — and of course, the setter runs the program. My setters all know coming in that if anything goes wrong — no matter what happens — it is always the setter's fault.
"Therefore setters have to be mentally tougher than anybody else on the court because they are going to get criticism from everybody. And Megan took the criticism with a smile and kept doing what she was supposed to do. None of that bothered her; she just stayed collected and focused.
"Not only was she a great setter and good quarterback for our program; she was also a good server and consistently got us points when she got back there to serve. She is one of those senior that I don't actually think we can replace. We will just have to find somebody else to play that role."
One other setter that ranked among the best to ever play for Foxx is Toni Douglas.
Douglas is now working alongside Foxx as Pinecrest's assistant coach. A scholarship player at North Carolina Central University, she is also the squad's setting coach and has trained with Thomas since she was a freshman at Pinecrest, tutoring her on the necessary footwork, techniques, judgment and reads required to excel at the art in competition.
"Megan was a huge asset to our team," said Douglas. "As far as her leadership and being smart about knowing who to set (to) and when to set, she was a true standout. A setter (in volleyball) is like a quarterback in football; they have to know everything that is going on and where players are supposed to be, in addition to where they actually are on both sides of the net. That is where she thrived.
"She also has great instincts as to knowing when to dump a ball or set a quick-set, and those things are important when you are trying to win tight games because it keeps the opponent off-guard and guessing."
As a student-athlete, Thomas earned 11 varsity letters at Pinecrest. She was a three-year varsity basketball player and a four-year standout for the Patriots on the soccer field. Throughout it all she credits her team members for her success.
"I know I could not have done this without my teammates," said Thomas. "If I didn't have my teammates there to push me and help me pursue my goals, then I know I wouldn't be anywhere close to where I am today.
"Also, the coaches for all my sports were great, because they were not just worried about winning. They were really focused on pushing me to a level where I wanted (to be) and doing what was best for me in the long run. So it just really helped to know that they really cared about us as players."
Two other people that care tremendously for Thomas are her parents, Betsy and Norman. Both were on hand for the signing ceremony last Thursday along with Pinecrest athletic director Ernie Purnsley, assistant principal Dante Poole, Foxx and Douglas.
"We are very proud of Megan," said Norman Thomas. "She actually had options for soccer or volleyball, but she had her heart set on volleyball. As it turned out she had sent her videos to the coach at UNCW, but they already had a setter. Even still the UNCW coach forwarded her videos and information on to the Cape Fear coach.
"So we are hoping maybe she can step up and play for the coach at UNCW in two years. That way she could continue her education and volleyball career at a higher level. More importantly, though, we are just proud of what she has done."
Located in Wilmington, CFCC is a Division I member of the National Junior College Athletic Association that competes in Region 10.
While Thomas enjoyed the atmosphere of the campus during her visit there and welcomes the opportunity to play volleyball as a Sea Devil, she is hoping CFCC is not the final stop on her volleyball voyage.
"When the coach from Cape Fear contacted me first, it really boosted my confidence knowing they had already seen me and had interest in me," said Thomas. "So that just gave me hope that I can go even further and transfer [somewhere] bigger."
Contact F.W. Manning II at frankwm2@gmail.com.
Story Courtesy of "The Pilot" (Southern Pines, NC)
