Riley Whitesides

AWARDS/HONORS

• SEC All-Freshman Team
• SEC Freshman of the Week (11/17/20, 3/1/21, 3/8/21)
• 2020-21 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
• 2021, 2022 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll

2023 (SENIOR)

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2022 (JUNIOR)

• Ranked second on the team in kills, averaging 2.65 per set.
• One of only two members of the program over the last 20 seasons with a reception percentage north of .960 with 700 or more total receptions.
• Led the team with 15 kills and added eight digs at Wake Forest (9/3).
• Averaged 4.0 kills per set in the series vs. Cincinnati.
• Finished with a season-high 16 kills in the win over Florida, including four in the fifth set (9/25).
• Recorded her first double-double of the season, with 15 kills and 11 digs against Missouri (10/1).
• Posted a double-double along with 41 serve receptions without being aced in a win vs. Ole Miss (11/6).

2021 (SOPHOMORE)

• Ranked second on the team with 246 kills, fourth with 164 digs and enjoyed a new career high with 17 service aces.
• Opened the season with 13 kills, two aces and eight digs in a win over Washington State (8/27).
• Dropped in a career-high three aces along with 10 kills and a key solo block late in a win over Georgia (9/22).
• Hit .391 with 13 kills and tied for the team lead with eight digs in a loss to Tennessee (10/9).
• Led the team with 18 kills and hit .389, also adding 10 digs to help the team upset No. 5 Kentucky (11/4).
• Took a season-high 41 swings and led the team with 14 kills in a road sweep at Auburn (11/10).
• Led the team’s offense in the NCAA tournament match against Western Kentucky, finishing with nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage over three sets.

2020-21 (FRESHMAN)

• One of three members of the team to play in all 84 sets.
• Ranked second on the team in kills (261), which stood as the ninth-highest total by a freshman in the country and led all SEC freshmen.
• Her kill total is the most by a Gamecock freshman in a single conference season during the modern scoring era.
• Just the fourth member in program history to win three SEC weekly awards in a single season.
• Made the conference’s postseason all-freshman team, marking just the seventh time in program history a Gamecock made the team.
• Reached double-digit kills in five of the eight fall matches, starting with 11 kills to go with six digs and six blocks in her collegiate debut at Georgia on Oct. 17.
• Recorded her first collegiate double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs in a win against Auburn (10/29).
• Led the team with 32 kills over eight total sets against Florida to help the Gamecocks split their final games of the fall, highlighted by a fall finale where she put down 23 kills on 46 swings with only four errors as South Carolina beat Florida for the first time since 2006 – a span of 24 matches.
• For her efforts against Florida, she earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 17.
• Hit .316 with 18 kills and six digs in an upset of No. 25 Missouri (2/27), earning her freshman of the week honors again.
• Named SEC Freshman of the Week a third time after 27 kills in seven sets vs. Ole Miss (3/6-7).

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB

• At Mauldin, Whitesides was a three-time All-State honoree and a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year finalist.
• With her Upward Stars club team, she was recognized individually as a 2015 AAU All-American, an AVCA All-Region member and made the Junior Volleyball Association’s watch list.

PERSONAL

• Daughter of Heather Justice.
• Has one brother; John and two sisters; Olivia and Ellis
• Will pursue a degree in education, with the goal of teaching at the elementary level.