Mary Hock Leventis is one of the most decorated players in Winthrop Athletics history.
As a lefty outside hitter, she was known for her powerful spikes and wicked jump-serve. In 2005, she led the entire NCAA in service aces and she still holds the Winthrop career records for aces and kills. A year earlier, in 2004, she earned the Big South Conference Player of the Year award, was named an NCAA Honorable Mention All-American, and to the NCAA East Regional team. These accolades were all accompanied by three-time All-Big South First Team selections and voted to the conference’s All-Freshman team. Mary led her team to four consecutive Big South Conference Championships from 2002 – 2005 and was named the Tournament MVP in her final season.
She stayed with the program as an assistant coach and helped earn another Big South Championship in 2006. She left to become an assistant coach at the University of Georgia in 2007 and then returned to the Winthrop Volleyball coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2010. Mary was a 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association 30-Under 30 award recipient and helped guide the 2011 team to a Big South Conference Regular Season Championship. Her primary responsibility is to work with the outside hitters and defense.
In 2012 she and former Winthrop setter Emily Heckle helped guide their Carolina Juniors 16s team to a berth at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympics Nationals by winning the Carolina Region Championship.
For the 2012 season, Leventis has taken on a volunteer role at Winthrop, but still remains a very active coach with the program. She participates in all practices and matches, serves as alumni director for the program and is the Big South Conference representative for the AVCA Assistant Coaches Committee. According to Coach Torbett, “Mary is a vital part of the Winthrop Volleyball program. The successful history of the Winthrop Eagle program is Mary Hock Leventis and she is a daily reminder for the current players as to what it takes to be a champion.”
She graduated from Winthrop Cum Laude in 2006 with a degree in Fitness and Wellness and a minor in Human Nutrition. She is married to former Winthrop men’s basketball player, Gabe Leventis. They reside in Rock Hill and enjoy boating and spending time with their “children”: two dogs and one cat.
