Jessica Thobe is a two-sport athlete for Sinclair Community College and has been recognized as one of the best players on the women’s volleyball team.
Most recently, Thobe was ranked as one of the best attackers at the Division II junior college level, ranking #2 in kills per set at 4.76, according to National Junior College Athletic Association statistics.
Thobe also will play softball for the Tartan Pride in their inaugural season after a 21-year absence from Ohio Community College Athletic Conference competition. She said she loves to hit, but plays the infield with the spirit of a volleyball player.
“I have a volleyball mentality, so I’m like diving everywhere,” Thobe said.
As the Lady Pride head into the latter parts of the season, Thobe said she hopes the team can continue their winning ways. Most recently, the Pride won 15 straight games to boost their record to 22-4 overall on the season.
For any other normal volleyball player, a 15-game win streak would be a personal high – but not Thobe. She said while playing for Lehman Catholic High School in Sidney, her team won 28 straight games- including a State Championship at the Division-4 level.
“It was something that we worked for,” Thobe said. “The team we played in the regional finals was the team that won the past three years. We were all determined to not let them win a fourth year. It was so exciting [to win].”
Thobe said she loves to have fun while playing the game of volleyball and credits Sinclair coach K.C. Gan for bringing the fun back to the game.
Thobe took last year off from volleyball as she attended Wright State University. She said nagging injuries caused her to take a year off to rejuvenate. But she soon got the itch to play again and that’s where Sinclair came into the picture.
“I needed to take a year off, but then I realized I missed [the game],” Thobe said. “Plus I changed my major.”
She is now studying Sign Language at Sinclair, which is something she said she has always had an interest in.
Thobe is a co-captain on the Tartan Pride and has showed her leadership qualities by playing through injuries during some key games.
In fact, during the loss to Owens Community College on Sept. 8, her shin gave her so much pain she couldn’t even jump. But to help her team’s chances, she fought through the pain.
“I’d rather be playing in pain than not playing,” Thobe said. “Usually I’m into the game so much, I don’t even think about it.”
Now Thobe said her team is out for revenge and wants the Sinclair students to help cheer on the team as they face Owens again – this time it’s at home and Thobe thinks Sinclair will have much better chances.
“[The win streak] gave us more confidence,” Thobe said. “It proved to ourselves that we are a good team and proved we can beat good teams.”