Aug. 29, 2011

by Koby Padgett
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina sophomore outside hitter Juliette Thévenin added a third award to her mantle after one weekend of play, as the Southeastern Conference selected her as the Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced today.

The sophomore from Belgium garnered Temple Invitational MVP and most valuable attacker honors during the event, averaging 4.80 kills and 4.90 digs per set during the three matches, all wins for the Gamecocks. Posting a double-double in each match, Thévenin led the team in kills twice and in digs once. She matched her career high with 21 kills in the season-opening win over Montana and had tallied her double-double after one set of play. Behind her totals, the Gamecocks lead the SEC in kills (15.20) and digs (20.20).

Thévenin becomes the Gamecocks’ first SEC Offensive Player of the Week since the first award in 2009, when Ivana Kujundzic took home the honor. It’s Thévenin’s second SEC weekly award, following her Freshman of the Week certificate from Oct. 25, 2010.

LSU’s Meghan Mannari garnered the defensive weekly award, while Kentucky’s Jackie Napper claimed the freshman honor.

South Carolina hosts the Gamecock Invitational this weekend at the Volleyball Competition Facility, with Davidson, Elon, Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville coming to fill out the field. The Gamecocks take on the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs at 12 p.m. EDT on Friday in the second of the day’s five matches.