Oct. 5, 2006

By Matias Saari, Sports Reporter
Published October 5, 2006
Posted in College

Megan Thigpen's recruiting visit to the University of Alaska Fairbanks a year ago had all the makings of a trip gone awry.

That's because Thigpen, then a standout volleyball player at Mead High School in Spokane, Wash., had a stomach flu that was causing her to vomit with alarming regularity.

"I was really sick when I came up here but the girls took care of me like I was already on the team. I was throwing up every half hour," Thigpen recalled in the Nanook Lounge at the Patty Center following practice Wednesday. "They made me feel welcome. I was interested (in UAF) and that was kind of the deciding factor. After I came here (to visit), I knew that this was perfect."

Now it's the Nanooks who feel great about having the 2005 High School All-American on their squad, and opposing teams that can feel ill facing her.

Thigpen, a 5-foot-9 freshman, has made an immediate impact for the Nanooks, as she leads the team in kills, service aces and points, is second in hitting percentage and ranks third (just two behind the leader) in digs. Her athleticism, enthusiasm and power also make her one of the Nanooks' most exciting players, and her consistency -- in 14 matches, she has 10 "double-doubles", or matches with at least 10 kills and 10 digs -- is rare among first-year college players.

"If you disregard the fact that she's a freshman, she certainly is one of our best all-around players, if not the best," said Alaska coach Phil Shoemaker, who noticed Thigpen at a junior tournament in Salt Lake City the summer before her senior year of high school. "She's a great teammate and she's a dream to coach."

Shoemaker slotted Thigpen as a middle hitter to start the season, but has since shifted her to left outside hitter to better use Thigpen's quickness and to allow more playing time for middle hitters Katrina Jensen and Korlyn Bolster.

Thigpen's signature play, called "Slide," puts her in motion for a running spike attempt that wows spectators and often catches opponents off-guard. "I love it," said Thigpen, nicknamed "Beggin' for Megan" by her teammates. "You take off of one foot and you can get so much momentum for the hit. I did it in high school, too."

Thigpen was a member of three Washington state Class 4A state championship teams at powerhouse Mead, which graduated eight seniors last year, six of whom are currently playing college volleyball. Thigpen also participated in high school basketball, softball and track and field, but it was volleyball that made the biggest impression. She was introduced to the sport by a friend's mother in sixth grade and three years later faced a decision between playing soccer or volleyball. She chose the latter and has never looked back.

Coming from Mead, Thigpen is hardly accustomed to losing matches. Though the Nanooks are 3-11 this season, she is confident Alaska, which has shown improvement of late, is ready to make a run in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The next three matches, starting tonight at the Patty Center against 1-11 Saint Martin's, are against teams with losing records.

"Of course it's horrible losing. I hate losing, but I make the best of it," said Thigpen. "(But) every week we're getting better and better. The second time around (the schedule), people are going to be surprised."

Thigpen's importance to the Nanooks was especially evident in three recent matches. Against Northwest Nazarene, she recorded 19 kills and 21 digs with just three errors in a thrilling five-game win during which the Nanooks faced match point. The next match, at Western Oregon, Thigpen sustained a concussion ("I just dove for the ball and didn't protect my head when I was diving") and though woozy kept playing and tallied 17 kills and 13 digs in a four-game loss. Thigpen did not practice the next day, and as a precaution, Shoemaker was hoping to keep her on the bench a night later at Saint Martin's. But the Nanooks struggled early, and Shoemaker summoned his star freshman. She responded with 12 kills and 18 digs to lead the Nanooks to their first road win in almost a year.

"If you take her off our court, I promise you'll see a difference," said Shoemaker. "We lean on her a lot and she's real comfortable with those expectations."

Thigpen, who has not yet declared an academic major but is interested in criminal justice, came to Alaska to enjoy more than just volleyball. An outdoor enthusiast, she intends to go dog mushing, snowmachining, skiing and fishing in the offseason. And though she has yet to see a moose, Thigpen and her freshman volleyball teammates recently witnessed the northern lights for the first time.

"We were in the parking lot at Fred Meyer," said Thigpen. "We were freaking out jumping around. It was so cool."

Shoemaker is equally enthusiastic about her talent on the volleyball court. "She's special. She's may be the best freshman player in our league," said Shoemaker, Alaska's head coach for the past seven seasons and a college coach for more than 25 years. "I would compare her (potential) very favorably to Mallory Bergstrom, who was our first (NCAA Division II) All-American."