Sept. 17, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Junior outside hitter Juliette Thévenin earned the Southeastern Conference Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week award today, the league office announced.

Thévenin averaged 5.00 kills per set in the wins over Georgia and LSU, helping the Gamecocks to a 2-0 record in league play, one of four teams to win both of their matches during the opening weekend. The junior posted a match-best and season-high 22 kills and added 11 digs in the LSU five-set win. She also received 33 serves without an error against the Tigers. In the Georgia victory, Thévenin had 18 kills, including 13 in the final two sets without an error, to go with two aces and five digs.

Moving to 15th in Gamecock history with 855 career kills, Thévenin ranks second on the career charts with 3.77 kills per set. Her strong play helped the Gamecocks break the program record for best start to a season with a 13-0 mark, besting the 1983 team’s 12-match winning streak to start the year. South Carolina is one win away from tying the longest winning streak in the team’s history, again held by the 1983 squad.

It’s the second time Thévenin has garnered this award, as she also claimed it after the first week of the 2011 season. She has also been named SEC Freshman of the Week once in her career.

Florida’s Taylor Unroe won the SEC Defensive Player of the Week certificate, while Alabama’s Sierra Wilson took the SEC Freshman of the Week award.

South Carolina hits the road for the first time in SEC play this year, facing Auburn on Friday at 8 p.m. EDT and Tennessee on Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT.