SPARTANBURG, S.C. - UNC Greensboro outfielder Laura Olenderski has been named the Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for March 17-23, the league office announced Wednesday.
Olenderski boasts a 3.85 grade point average and is majoring in marketing.
The Lewes, Del., senior hit .833 last week, going 5-for-6 in a doubleheader sweep of College of Charleston on Saturday. Olenderski was 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI and reached base five times in UNCG's 11-7 game-one win, scoring what would prove to be the winning run in the top of the 11th inning.
In game two, she was 2-for-3 with a stolen base, legging out infield singles in her first two at-bats to give her nine straight plate appearances in which she reached base. UNCG won 5-1 to complete its first sweep of the Cougars since 2002.
Olenderski also appeared as a pinch-runner against No. 16 North Carolina on Thursday.
In addition to her .833 average, Olenderski had an on-base percentage of .857 on the week.
An Academic All-Southern Conference selection last year, Olenderski also earned the SoCon's Coleman Lew Leadership Award last season. The award recognizes student-athletes from each of the Southern Conference's 12 member institutions. Coaches, faculty athletic representatives and senior woman administrators nominate prospective candidates based on leadership, academic excellence and athletic achievement in both the college environment and the community. Athletic directors and representatives from Coleman Lew & Associates conducted one-on-one interviews with the finalists before determining the award winners.
Olenderski becomes the fourth UNCG student-athlete to take the award this academic year, joining men's cross country runner Joey Thompson and women's basketball players Amy Clapper and Monique Floyd.
- UNCG -