Freshman outside hitter Živa Recek (Kočevje,
Slovenia) has been named the Southeastern Conference’s Offensive Player of the
Week for her play at home against Arkansas and Kentucky last weekend.
Recek is the first Florida freshman since UF’s
first four-time All-American and 2008 AVCA National Freshman of the Year Kelly Murphy to be named SEC Offensive
Player of the Week as a freshman.
This is
Florida’s third SEC weekly honor of the 2012 season, as Recek
was named the SEC Freshman of the Week earlier in the season and sophomore libero Taylor Unroe (Muncie, Ind.) was honored as the SEC Defensive
Player of the Week the last time the Gators faced the Razorbacks and the
Wildcats.
Recek led No. 11 Florida to a 2-0 week
with wins over Arkansas and Kentucky. The Gators improved to 7-0 in conference
play and won their 10th consecutive match overall. The freshman outside hitter hit .345
with 13 kills, six digs and four blocks in Florida’s 3-0 sweep
of Arkansas on Friday evening. Her four blocks contributed to the Gators’ 16.5
team blocks, the most in a three-set match since Nov. 25, 2006.
On Sunday, the Slovenia native tallied a match-high 19 kills
in Florida’s comeback win over Kentucky, including eight errorless kills (.533)
in the third set when UF trailed the match 0-2. Recek
added eight digs and a pair of aces in the win over UK
