To be a winning volleyball team in a conference like the SEC, important roles on the court must be taken care of every game.

The Georgia Volley Dogs are 13-7 overall and 6-2 in the SEC for many reasons, one being the play of sophomore Alexandra Oquendo.

Oquendo, a Guaynabo, Puerto Rico native, was thrown into a crucial position last year as the team’s middle blocker.

With her first playing time at the beginning of SEC play last year, the 6-foot-2 Oquendo admitted to being scared.

“That was the first time I got to play in the SEC and United States,” Oquendo said. “I lost half the season, but that was OK.”

Her freshman campaign was “OK” enough for Oquendo to notch 218 kills as well as 83 blocks, and enough rejections to rank her second on the team behind only current senior Rashinda Reed.

This year Oquendo has recorded 218 kills and 72 total blocks. She will get a chance to add to those totals tonight in the Ramsey Center against South Carolina and Sunday against Kentucky.

Before playing volleyball, Oquendo first participated in other sports, like swimming.

“I did swimming for three years,” Oquendo said. “Next to the place we swam was a volleyball court, and I saw the sport there one day.”

Oquendo admitted that, at the start of her career, she was “bad.” But she said she stuck with the sport with the help of her father, Juan Oquendo.

“My dad was always there, always telling me I could get better,” Oquendo said. “He would take me to a court every single day, and we practiced with a beachball.”

Living so far away from home has had its drawbacks, Oquendo said.

“I used to feel really bad because my parents used to come to every one of my games in Puerto Rico,” Oquendo said. “It was kind of hard being inside the court (at Georgia) and looking into the crowd and not seeing them.”

However, Oquendo’s parents, Juan and Norma Oquendo, haven’t missed all of her matches.

“This year they’ve made it to a lot of matches here,” Oquendo said. “It was kind of like a surprise.”

Another pleasant surprise Oquendo received was winning SEC Player of the Week on Oct. 13. The Georgia coaches, however, began campaigning her for the honor after her performances in wins over Alabama and Auburn on Oct. 10 and 12, respectively.

“The coaches were kind of telling me, ‘Oquendo for Player of the Week’ after the matches,” she said.

“Then coach called and said I was SEC Player of the Week,” Oquendo said with a smile.

Oquendo said she will continue to play better.

“I can do well this weekend,” she said. “I can do even better this weekend.”

Georgia takes on South Carolina tonight at 7 and Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m, both at the Ramsey Center.