Kelly Murphy Named SEC Freshman of the Week
Monday, October 6, 2008 | Volleyball
Freshman Florida right-side/setter Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) has been named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for her strong performances against Alabama and Mississippi State, the league office in Birmingham, Ala., announced Monday.
Florida has now claimed the SEC's Freshman of the Week award in five of the six weeks of the 2008 campaign and becomes the first program in the history of the award to have two different players earn multiple SEC Freshman of the Week honors during the same season. Redshirt freshman outside hitter/right-side Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.), also is a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week recipient.
Murphy led the way for the Gators this past weekend, as they concluded a four-match SEC road swing, to improve their record to 12-1 overall and 6-0 in the league. Murphy had a team-leading 4.14 kills per set, a squad-best 6.86 assists per set as part of a 6-2 offense and was second on the team in digs per set (2.71) and hitting percentage (.340). Murphy also was tied for the team lead in points with 4.21 points per set on the weekend.
Murphy notched the second triple-double of her career and her second in three matches in a hard-fought four-set victory at Alabama on Friday night. She charted 14 kills, a career-high 35 assists and a career-high 15 digs. Murphy, one of only two players in school history to have tallied a triple-double (Angie McGinnis is the other), is the only freshman in school history to have recorded a triple-double.
Murphy, who has posted a team-leading eight double-doubles this season, including five consecutive, finished with a match-high 15 kills on .524 hitting with 13 assists and four digs in a sweep of Mississippi State on Sunday in Starkville. As one of two primary setters on the team, she also helped the Gators to a .337 hitting efficiency in that match.
On the season, Murphy ranks second on the team in kills per set with 3.13, while leading the team in hitting percentage (.332) and assists per set (5.96). She also is second on the team in points (3.52/set) and is third in aces (0.20/set).
Three different Gator freshmen have been named the SEC Freshman of the Week this season, making Florida the first school in the history of the award to do so. The Gators lead the league in most SEC Freshman of the Week recipients over the past two years with six honorees since the start of the 2007 campaign.
Murphy and the Gators return to action on Friday when they play host to Kentucky (15-2, 6-0 SEC) in a battle of league unbeatens. Opening serve is slated for 7 p.m. EDT in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center and the match will be carried live on WRUF AM-850 with Tom Collett.
WEEK 6 SEC HONOREES
SEC Offensive Player of the Week – Lindsay Gehan, Georgia
SEC Defensive Player of the Week – Elena Martinez, LSU
SEC Freshman of the Week – Kelly Murphy, Florida
2008 SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONOREES
Week 1 – Kristy Jaeckel, Florida
Week 2 – Kristy Jaeckel, Florida
Week 3 – Regina Thomas, Ole Miss
Week 4 – Colleen Ward, Florida
Week 5 – Kelly Murphy, Florida
Week 6 – Kelly Murphy, Florida
MOST SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK RECEIPIENTS OVER LAST 2 YEARS
Florida – 6
Kentucky – 4
Tennessee – 3
Georgia – 2
Ole Miss – 2
LSU – 1
South Carolina - 1
END OF REPORT
