Volleyball’s Kennedy Martin & Taylor Parks Earn SEC Weekly Honors

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Following a 2-0 week from the No. 18 Florida volleyball team, two Gators received SEC weekly honors. AVCA Division I Player of the Year Semifinalist Kennedy Martin was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week and setter Taylor Parks earned Freshman of the week, announced by the league Monday afternoon.

SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week – Kennedy Martin

Martin becomes the first Gator in program history to earn a share of the SEC Offensive Player of the Week award for six-consecutive weeks, and is the only player to receive the honor six times in a single season. 

The Fort Mill, S.C. native registered back-to-back double-double matches, while averaging a .411 hitting percentage in a 2-0 week for Florida. The Fort Mill, S.C. native totaled 31 kills, 10 digs, four blocks and one ace in the Gators road win against Auburn on Wednesday to tie her career-high 34.0 points. She then headlined Florida’s offense on Saturday against UCF, recording a .510 hitting percentage against the Knights after finishing with 29 kills and adding 10 digs, two blocks, one assist and one ace to the win. The sophomore averaged 8.13 points per set and 7.50 kills per set, while continuing her streak of recording double-digit kills in 48-consecutive matches.

Playing in just 74 percent of Florida’s 96 sets, she currently ranks first in the nation for points per set (6.25) and second for kills for set (5.54). In SEC matches alone, her 6.45 points per set and 5.73 kills per set rank No. 1, while her 0.44 aces per set sits third and .366 hitting clip ranks ninth. Furthermore, she has recorded double-digit kills in every match played wearing the Orange and Blue (48 matches).

Martin has now accumulated two SEC Player of the Week and six Offensive Player of the Week awards this season. Additionally, the sophomore was named AVCA’s Division I National Player of the Week on Oct. 29 and was most recently named a semifinalist for the AVCA’s Division I National Player of the Year Award on Nov. 14.

SEC Freshman of the Week – Taylor Parks

Parks averaged 11.57 assists after playing in seven of the Gators eight sets last week. The freshman stepped onto the court during set two of Florida’s win at Auburn and closed out the four setter with 28 assists to tie for a team-high. In Saturday’s win against UCF, the setter recorded a four-set career best after her 53 assists commanded Florida’s offense to a .353 hitting percentage. She added eight digs, three kills, two…