Alyssa Thomas is back in town, will coach volleyball at Linn-Mar

You could say that Alyssa Thomas is part of the Teresa Bair coaching tree, once removed.

'It's kind of full circle, isn't it?” Thomas said Monday, after she was hired as the next volleyball coach at Linn-Mar High School.

Thomas, 23, is a 2016 Marion High School graduate, then played at Minnesota-Crookston, from which she graduated in 2020. She coached four years of club volleyball while at Crookston.

'I'm definitely going to push the players to be the best they can be, but I'm going to do it in a positive manner,” she said.

At Marion, Thomas played for Roxanne Paulsen, who played for Bair at Tripoli in the 1980s.

Bair coached at Linn-Mar from 2013 through 2019 after a long, successful ride at Tripoli. She was succeeded by Morgan Mammosser, who guided the Lions to an 13-15 record in 2020.

Since moving home, Thomas has served as a billing specialist for Covenant Family Solutions in Marion.

'Alyssa's knowledge of the game and experience and success as a high school and college player will help her be successful,” Linn-Mar associate athletics director Tonya Moe said. 'She has the passion and energy that it will take to lead a 5A program.

'She is excited to be back in the community she grew up in and wants to give back to the sport that gave her so much. We are excited to have her here at Linn-Mar.”

Top returning players for the Lions in 2021 include seniors-to-be Monet Young and Lauren Werner.

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