Medina/Pingree-Buchanan seniors combine for nearly 4,000 career digs

Oct. 3—MEDINA, N.D. — Allison Thomas vividly remembers when her older sister, Jordan, hit the 1,000-kill and 1,000-dig milestones.

"While Jordan was still in high school, I watched her achieve 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs," said Thomas, a senior volleyball player for Medina/Pingree-Buchanan. "After that, I had the opportunity to watch her pursue her volleyball career at the University of Jamestown. I set out to be just like Jordan. The experiences inspired me to set my own personal volleyball career goals of 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs."

Jordan finished her four-year high school career with an impressive 1,302 digs and 1,752 kills. She was awarded the 2015 Region 3 Senior Athlete and was named to the 2015 All-State Team. Out of all the Thomas sisters, Jordan currently has the most records.

But her little sister is coming for her.

Thomas and her teammate, Alaina Bosche, hit their 1,000-dig milestone at the very beginning of their junior season. Thomas hit her 2,000th career dig on Sept. 28 against Kidder County. As of Oct. 3, she is 49 kills away from the 1,000-kill benchmark.

"I never imagined that I would reach 2,000 career digs," Thomas said. "The type of training that goes into hitting milestones like these involves working year-round, inside and outside of volleyball practices and camps.

"I also make an effort to practice on my own," she said. "I'll do solo drills or even just pass to myself. I never stop working because I know there's always room for improvement. It's the combination of all of these things, along with my ambition and determination, that has allowed me to reach this point in my volleyball career."

Thomas has been playing varsity volleyball for MPB ever since she was in seventh grade.

"I don't remember my first career dig or kill, but I do recall playing in my first varsity game," Thomas said. "I was a seventh grader subbing in to serve for one of my teammates. I was incredibly nervous, but boy, was I also ecstatic. I couldn't believe I was actually playing at the varsity level.

"Although I only subbed in to serve, the experience felt surreal and almost dreamlike," she said. "I remember feeling extremely grateful to be on that court. That first varsity experience is something I'll never forget."

Thomas said her best memory related to volleyball came two years later when she tabulated a staggering 50 digs in a single game.

"It was against Wilton-Wing at Wilton in 2020, my freshman season," Thomas recalled. "The game went to five sets, and we ended up winning. The game was broadcast on BEK, and I got the Player of the Game award.

"The next day, I received a notification on my phone that BEK had tagged me in a post on Instagram," she said. "I remember immediately opening Instagram to see the post, and it was a sequence of my highlights from the game. It was the first time I had ever been featured on BEK's social media, and it was such a compliment. I still remember feeling so on top of the world! That volleyball memory is one that I'll never forget."

The next year wasn't a record-breaking or best-memory type of year for Thomas but it was a growing experience.

In January of 2021, during Thomas' freshman season of basketball, she completely tore her ACL and meniscus. Thomas said when she thought about her volleyball goals, she became extremely worried that the injury might keep her from achieving them.

"The full recovery time following an ACL reconstruction is usually six to nine months, but it is recommended to wait longer before returning to sports," Thomas said. "Knowing this, I had set a new goal: I was going to return stronger than ever. My recovery was going to require a ton of work, so it soon became all that I focused on."

Thomas said she was very determined to participate in her sophomore volleyball season in the fall of 2021. Though she wasn't at 100%, Thomas was healthy enough to play and got cleared before the volleyball season started.

"I got a knee brace to help me while playing that I still wear now but with the knee brace I had to adjust my gameplay and learn how to dive differently," Thomas said. "I experienced a few setbacks during my rehabilitation, including partially retearing my meniscus and developing a cyst, but I'm very proud of how far I've come."

Bosche is in part responsible for how far Thomas has come.

"From the very start, we've had amazing chemistry," Thomas said of her relationship with Bosche. "We have a lot of confidence in one another, and we just get each other's gameplay so well. Throughout both of our volleyball careers, we've worked really hard to persevere and improve as players. We've remained incredibly devoted to the sport and made it our goal to become the best we can be. Every day in practice, we push one another to get better. She is such a great teammate, and I'm so proud of all that she has accomplished and how far she has come in her career."

As of Oct. 3, Bosche, the Thunder's starting libero, is 33 digs away from earning 2,000 digs.

"To be honest, I don't think these milestones ever crossed my mind at first, but as I got older and saw other people achieving this, I would definitely think about getting to my 1,000th dig and would have that in the back of my mind that it could be me someday if I keep working hard and being determined," Bosche said. "It wasn't until I got my 1,000th dig that I came to the realization that I could potentially get my 2,000th dig as well."

Bosche has been playing for MPB since her eighth grade season back in 2019.

"My first volleyball-related memory is just playing in the yard peppering with my aunt or sister," Bosche said. "I've been playing volleyball for as long as I can remember but I wasn't on an actual team until I was in fourth grade.

"I love every aspect of the game of volleyball," she said. "I think it's such a fun sport and I love how you have to rely on every player on the court to be successful. No matter who you are on the court, your role is so important and I love being able to be a part of that."

Bosche and Thomas have taken their roles seriously.

The duo are the only two seniors on the MPB roster this season. The Thunder is leading the Region 3, District 6 standings. MPB is 4-0 in District 6 play, 6-2 in Region 3 and 15-5 overall. The Thunder beat the 2022 Class B State Tournament runners-up, Linton/HMB, in five sets on Sept. 26. The squad's next game is scheduled for Oct. 5 at Barnes County North.

"Our team's chemistry, ambition, and work ethic have helped us to be a top team in Region 3 this year," Thomas said. "Since the beginning of the season, each and every girl on the team has been working incredibly hard to improve. Over the summer, we had open gyms every week. In addition, our team participated in the Jimmie Team Camp and played in a few tournaments.

"We all play so well together, and every girl pushes each other to grow better," she said. "Everyone gives it their all, and I've noticed improvement in all my teammates. All of the girls, as well as our coaches, have such high aspirations and a 'want' mentality. These factors have allowed us to be a top team in Region 3 this season."