The University of Mississippi Athletics
Thomas Looks To Lead Rebels At Kentucky, Tennessee
9/24/2009 | Volleyball
Ole Miss Media Relations Student Assistant
Winston Churchill once said, "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
Churchill was probably referring to politics, war strategies and things of that nature; however, this statement can also be applied to other aspects of life including sports. Attitude is everything. It can motivate, causing a team to rise up from the ashes and claim victory or tear down a team's spirit and cause failure. Good or bad, attitude is contagious and spreads through a team like wild fire.
Sophomore middle blocker Regina Thomas is a natural at lighting a "good" fire for the Ole Miss volleyball team. That fiery intensity and competitive spirit are a large part of the reason Thomas is currently third in the Southeastern Conference in blocks with 1.20 per set and looking to help lead the Rebels to wins this weekend on the road at Kentucky and Tennessee.
"Her attitude is different; it is an intense energy that everyone feeds off of," said teammate and fellow middle blocker Miranda Kitts. "She steps out on the court and gets everyone going. She does this fist pumping thing and it is hard not to get excited. I am personally motivated by her and like to watch her block."
"Knowing that my attitude gets everyone excited and motivated gets me excited as well," Thomas said. "I think when one of us is getting tired and having trouble getting rallied up, if I or someone else gets excited for her then it just motivates the whole team."
Daughter of Nigerian native Rosemary Thomas, Regina comes from a very athletic family. With two siblings actively competing in track and volleyball at major universities, it just makes sense for her to be an influential player for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Born in Dallas, Texas, Thomas joined the volleyball scene later in life than most. She didn't start playing volleyball until the seventh grade and didn't join a club volleyball team until she was 16 when she began competing with Dallas Summit. The next two years she competed with Dallas Premier until coming to Ole Miss.
Thomas made up for her slow start when she was named to the All-Freshmen SEC team in 2008; as well as, being named freshman of the week twice. She also led the team with nine blocks against their most recent opponent the South Carolina Gamecocks.
When asked about her and the team's performance against South Carolina after taking fifth-ranked Florida to the wire in a five-set match, Thomas was quick to point out that bringing the right mindset to the court at all times is crucial.
"I don't think everyone had the same mind set as we did against Florida," Thomas said. "I think we didn't have the mind set as a team of having to bring it against South Carolina like we did Florida. It was kind of bitter sweet. I was proud of my performance but we didn't win as a team. That is all that matters winning as a team."
Thomas and her teammates will be traveling to 17th-ranked Kentucky and Tennessee to compete this weekend. Friday's match against the Wildcats is set for a 6 p.m. CST start, while Sunday's match against Tennessee will be televised by ESPNU at 4 p.m. CST. Attitude changes as well as changes in practice have been put into motion by the team in effort to return victorious.
"We are all excited and ready to prove ourselves after last weekend," Kitts said. "Everyone is intense. It is definitely not going to be a South Carolina match!" Thomas agrees.
By blocking negative thoughts and focusing on the positive, Thomas and the Lady Rebels are determined to return victorious. Attitude is everything and motivation the key.
