NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Bethany College men's volleyball libero Cole Thomas (Lindside, W.Va./James Monroe) has been named the March Presidents' Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Male Scholar Athlete of the Month.

Each month, the SAAC groups at PAC member institutions are asked to nominate one male and one female student-athlete for PAC SAAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month consideration based on academic and athletic accomplishments. Nominees must be varsity team members in their respective sport and in their junior or senior year. Scholar-Athlete of the Month nominees must also have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and be actively involved within their campus communities.

Thomas earns the conference-wide accolade following his All-PAC honorable mention season. In the month of March, he led the Bison defense with 25 digs with four assists and one kill. On the season, he appeared in 17 matches and 52 sets as Bethany's libero where he led the team with 115 digs for an average of 2.21 digs per set. Thomas was also fifth on the team with a career-high 32 assists and added one kill for one point. 

In his career, Thomas has appeared in 41 matches and 131 sets. He has recorded the most digs in program history with 263 for an average of 2.01 per set while also recording 62 assists and four kills for four points. Academically, Thomas carries a 4.0 grade point average as a political science major, is a John G. Chernenko Award recipient, is a Presidential Scholar, and is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society. 

The Bison finished the 2026 season with an overall record of 2-19 and a 1-11 record in the PAC.