SPARTANBURG, SC ? Furman’s Whitney Purser has been selected as the Molten Southern Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of October 10, 2005.

Purser, a junior outside hitter from Howey-In-The-Hills, FL, helped the Paladins to a 2-1 record this week with both Paladin victories coming on the road.Entering the week, Purser was tied for second in the Southern Conference in kills with 175 total kills on the season, averaging 3.8 kills per game. Purser turned in a solid performance this week for the Paladins as she recorded a hitting percentage of .244 and totaled 63 kills over the course of three matches.

She averaged 5.3 kills per game and 3.2 digs per game, which bested her season average of 4.1 kills per game entering the week, and recorded 20-plus kills in two of the Paladins’ three matches over that time period. She hit .326 in a 3-0 win over Elon, while recording a week-high 16 digs, as well as 23 kills against Western Carolina, just two shy of her career-high 25 kills accomplished twice previoulsy in her Paladin career. Her 63 kills on the week brought her season total to 238 as she remained second on the kills ledger for the season.

Furman will begin a three-game homestand this week , as it faces league- rival Wofford in Alley Gym on Tuesday, October 11 with the first serve slated for 7 p.m.

Other top performances this week: Emily Lucci of Elon (recorded a double-double with 15 kills and 14 digs in Elon’s 3-1 win over Wofford), Marina Daneiel of The Citadel ( registered 33 kills and 10 digs in three games this past week), Rebecca Wieters of College of Charleston (recorded 32 kills on the week and averaged 4.00 kills per game), and Christal Carey of Wofford (Recorded 42 kills and 55 digs of the Terriers’ three matches on the week, including a 16-kill effort against UNC Greensboro).