Nov. 13, 2006

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Senior outside hitter Shonda Cole from the South Carolina volleyball team was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in 2006, the league office announced Monday. Cole is the only player in the conference to win the award three times this year.

Cole helped the Gamecocks to a 3-2 victory over Kentucky on Friday, snapping a five-match losing streak to the Wildcats. She compiled 21 kills and 14 digs in the contest for her eighth double-double of the year. The Kings Mountain, N.C., native then ripped 29 kill versus the Lady Volunteers on Sunday to end Carolina’s seven-match skid in the series. Cole added a dozen digs, three aces and three blocks as well.

For the weekend, Cole averaged 5.56 kills, 0.78 aces, 2.89 digs and 0.44 blocks per game. Her season averages are 5.67 kills, 0.37 aces, 2.10 digs and 0.72 blocks. Cole entered the weekend ranked fourth nationally in kills per game and has been ranked among the top four the entire season.

Cole also set a school record for attacks in a season during the Tennessee match, bringing her total to 1,367. Her 73 attempts during the contest was a school record for a four-game match as well. Additionally, Cole topped the 1,700-kill plateau for her career and the 4,000-attack mark. She ranks second and first, respectively, in the two categories on the Gamecocks’ all-time list.

South Carolina (14-15, 7-11 SEC) will host Georgia (6-22, 2-16 SEC) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Volleyball Competition Facility and then head to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for an 8 p.m. Friday contest with the Crimson Tide (15-12, 10-8 SEC).