No. 14 Ducks Fight Back to Sweep UCLA
EUGENE, Ore. – The No. 14 Oregon volleyball team added another marquee win to its resume in advance of the postseason, sweeping No. 17 UCLA, 25-20, 25-22, 33-31, Friday at Matthew Knight Arena.
How it Happened: The Ducks showed their resilience throughout the match, having to force their way back after falling behind in each of the three sets. Oregon trailed 12-8 in set one before mounting a 6-1 run to take the lead. It trailed 16-12 in the second set before another 6-1 run finally gave the Ducks the lead again.
After trailing 11-8 in the third set, Oregon used an 8-2 run to take the lead but this time the Bruins fought back. The two teams were tied at 21-21 but neither team could separate enough to claim victory until Oregon finally scored two in a row to win 33-31. It took six set points for the home team and two for UCLA before the set was decided.
It was an all-around performance which gave the Ducks their 20th win of the season, recording 10 aces, nine blocks and all six hitters contributing with five-or-more kills to hit .289 as a team.
What it Means: The win gives Oregon number 20 on the season, marking the fourth-straight season the Ducks have hit the mark. The win also guarantees a .500 record in Pac-12 play, where currently nine of the 12 teams are ranked in the AVCA top 25.
While Oregon will be building its already strong case down the home stretch to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament, every win the Ducks add can improve their postseason positioning. Coach Moore said the team will not be letting up any time soon.
“I’d like to win all four, and we need to do that,” Moore said. “So we need to take care of business on Sunday (vs. USC), on Tuesday (at Utah), and on Friday (at Oregon State) as well.”
Notes and Numbers: Martenne Bettendorf and Frankie Shebby led the team with 12 kills…Maggie Scott recorded a double-double with 21 assists and a team-leading 12 digs along with adding five aces…Serena Warner finished the night with six blocks…the team’s 10 aces is the most since Nov. 11, 2012 against Arizona (11).
Up Next: Oregon will face No. 25 USC on Sunday at 11 a.m., in the final home match of the regular season. Shellsy Ashen, Natalie Bookout Gonzalez, Liz Brenner and Serena Warner will be honored before the match as part of senior day,
Fans can bring their Colorado football ticket stubs to receive $3 admission. Fans can also donate two non-perishable food items for $3 admission.