With the 2025 RMAC volleyball regular season coming to a close, The Sidelines: Episode 57 features starting senior libero for Black Hills State, Ellie Thomas. Originally from Gillette, Wyoming, Ellie accumulated a number of high school volleyball accolades, including Wyoming's 4A Defensive Player of the Year, and spent her first collegiate years playing at Northwest College. This year, Ellie earned the RMAC's Week 7 Defensive Player of the Week and continues to lead the league in total digs and digs per set. While Ellie's story is impressively marked by volleyball accomplishments, she also comes from a long line of firefighters in her family, and has continued that tradition, serving as a part-time firefighter during her summers. Ellie plans to continue her path in firefighting after her college career concludes, and looks forward to maintaining a sense of camaraderie and teamwork beyond the volleyball court.