Utes Too Hot for Ducks in 3-1 Defeat

SALT LAKE CITY – No. 13 Oregon volleyball was handed its eighth loss of the season by a red-hot No. 23 Utah team in four sets, Friday, 25-23, 17-25, 25-16, 25-21.

How it Happened: Oregon (21-8, 11-8) could not find its rhythm offensively and was plagued by hitting errors throughout the match. While Utah did block nine Oregon attempts, the Ducks also made 14 additional hitting errors to finish the night with a .220 clip.

The Ducks found a lift in the second set where they hit .436 while cruising to a win, but that momentum was stopped in the third set with Utah putting itself back in the lead with a 25-16 win. The fourth and final set was a dramatic one as neither team could separate until a late 5-1 run by Utah closed out the set and the match.

Oregon freshmen Frankie Shebby and Taylor Agost were bright spots during the night, leading the team with 16 and 12 kills, respectively.

What it Means: Oregon ran into the Utes at the wrong time this season, as Utah has now won six of its last seven matches, with four of those against ranked opponents including No. 2 Washington. The Huntsman Center has been a tough place for any team to get a win this season, as Utah holds an 11-2 record on its home court.

Notes and Numbers: Frankie Shebby led the team with a career high 16 kills and a hitting percentage of .483…Amanda Benson led the Ducks with 21 digs…Liz Brenner recorded her 18th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 17 digs.

Kill Count Rises: Liz Brenner passed Sonja Newcombe for fourth on the Oregon all-time career kills list as Brenner now has 1,587. She is now two away from Michele Krebsbach in third.

Next Up: The final match of the regular season will be played Friday at 3 p.m. against Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore. The match will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.