Kelly Murphy Named Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | Volleyball
Freshman Florida right-side/setter Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) has been named the Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I National Player of the Week, making her just the seventh player in school history to earn that recognition, the Lexington, Ky., based organization announced Tuesday afternoon.
Murphy becomes the first Florida player to earn a National Player of the Week award since Elyse Cusack was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Nov. 6, 2006. In UF school history, seven Gators have earned eight National Player of the Week awards from the AVCA.
The award is Murphy's fourth of the week, as she was named the College Volleyball Update National Player of the Week on Tuesday morning. On Monday, she became just the second player in Southeastern Conference history to be named the league's Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week simultaneously.
Murphy helped the Gators (10-1, 4-0 SEC) to wins against Arkansas and Ole Miss in the first SEC road weekend of her collegiate career. On the weekend, she led the Florida with a .438 hitting percentage and was second on the team in kills per set (4.00/set) and assists per set (6.71/set). She also was second on the team in points with 30.5 total points and third on the squad in digs with 2.71 scoops per set.
Murphy, who has posted a team-leading six double-doubles this season, became just the second player in Florida school history (former All-America setter Angie McGinnis was the other) to record a triple-double when she tallied the fifth triple-double in school history on Friday night in a 3-0 win against Arkansas. She finished that match with a career-high 15 kills on .619 hitting with 18 assists and a career-high 10 digs. Murphy becomes the first freshman in school history to chart a triple-double.
Murphy came just shy of becoming the first player in school history to record back-to-back triple-doubles, as she was one dig short of accomplishing that feat on Sunday at Ole Miss. She finished that match with 13 kills, a career-high 29 assists and nine digs. Murphy dished out 18 or more assists in both of the weekend's matches.
Murphy played every point of every set against both Arkansas and Ole Miss and helped direct the Florida offense to a .314 hitting efficiency for the weekend. The Gators hit better than .300 in both of their matches.
On the season, Murphy leads the Gators in both hitting percentage (.330) and assists per set (5.79/set). She also is second on the team in kills (2.95/set) and digs (1.59/set).
Murphy and the Gators return to action on Friday when they travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on Alabama. Opening serve between Florida and the Crimson Tide is slated for 8 p.m. EDT in The CAVE. The match will be carried live on ROCK 104 with Tom Collett.
FLORIDA PLAYERS NAMED AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 30, 2008 – Kelly Murphy – Fr., S/RS
Nov. 6, 2006 – Elyse Cusack – Fr., L
Sept. 4, 2000 – Nicole McCray - So., MB
Nov. 23, 1998 – Heather Wright – So., MB
Sept. 7, 1998 – Jenny Manz – Jr., RS
Sept. 1, 1997 – Nina Foster – Sr., MB
Oct. 30, 1995 – Aycan Gokberk – Sr., MB
Sept. 11, 1995 – Aycan Gokberk – Sr., MB
2008 SPORTS IMPORTS/AVCA DIVISION I NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sept. 2 – Laura DeBruler (Illinois) – So., OH
Sept. 9 – Sammi McCloud (St. Louis) – R-Jr., RS
Sept. 16 – Lauren Gibbemeyer (Minnesota) – So., MB
Sept. 23 – Jordan Larson (Nebraska) – Sr., OH
Sept. 30 – Kelly Murphy (Florida) – Fr., RS/S
END OF REPORT
