Ducks Close Regular Season in Tempe

Winners of 12 of the last 13 matches, No. 16 Oregon will aim to keep its Pac-12 title hopes alive when it closes out the regular season on the road at Arizona State, Friday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m.). The Ducks enter the weekend in second place in the conference, behind only Washington in terms of winning percentage - which will be used to determine the league champion. The Sun Devils lead the all-time series, 40-27, but Oregon has dominated the matchups over the last 13 seasons, owning a 20-6 advantage since 2007.
 
MATCH INFO
When: Thursday, April 1
Time: 7 p.m. PT
Where: Tempe, Ariz. (Desert Financial Arena)
Live Stream: ASU Live Stream
Watch Online: https://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university
 
When: Saturday, April 3
Time: 12 p.m. PT
Where: Tempe, Ariz. (Desert Financial Arena)
Live Stream: ASU Live Stream
Watch Online: https://pac-12.com/live/arizona-state-university
 
SERIES HISTORY
Arizona State leads, 40-27
Arizona State holds the edge in the all-time series but Oregon has a 20-6 advantage in matches played since 2007 and has won 11 of the last 12 meetings in Tempe.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
Brooke Nuneviller is one of just four players nationally and the only one at a Power 5 school currently averaging at least 3.60 kills and 3.80 digs per set.
 
SWEEPING UP
Oregon dominated its two matches against California over the weekend, securing sweep victories in both while holding the Bears to under 20 points in each of the six sets. The Ducks' defense stifled the Cal attack all weekend, holding the Bears to .050 hitting while averaging 4.0 blocks and 17.3 digs per set. Oregon has swept three straight matches heading into the weekend and has won 10 consecutive sets.
 
WELL-ROUNDED ATTACK
Going into the final week of the regular season, Oregon is the only Pac-12 team to rank in the top four of the conference in kills, digs and blocks per set. The Ducks have gotten it done in all facets of the game this year, leading the conference in digs per set (16.03), while sitting third in kills per set (13.43) and fourth in blocks per set (2.47).
 
DEFENSE STEPPING UP
Heading into the final two weekends of the season, Oregon ranks among the Pac-12 leaders in three of the major defensive stat categories. The Ducks are in the top four of the conference in digs per set (1st), opponent hitting percentage (2nd) and blocks per set (4th).
 
FIFTH SET MAGIC
The only Pac-12 team to win at least five five-set matches this season, Oregon has dominated in the deciding set of those matches, upping its defensive intensity to hold opponents to a -.009 hitting percentage in the fifth set. The Ducks are also outscoring opponents 75-46 in the fifth set this season.
 
BREAK OUT THE SPATULAS
Oregon is currently the only team in the Pac-12 to have two players averaging at least 3.40 digs per set. The Ducks are also one of three teams in the league to have three players averaging at least 2.60 digs per set. Brooke Nuneviller and Georgia Murphy are the only pair of Pac-12 teammates averaging at least 3.00 digs per set this season with Nuneviller fifth in the league and Murphy in eighth. Additionally, Taylor Borup is at 2.63 digs per set – good for 19th in the conference.
 
DOING IT ALL
Brooke Nuneviller has established herself as one of the best all-around players in the country since the start of last season. She is one of only four players nationally - and the only one at a Power 5 school - averaging at least 3.60 kills and 3.80 digs per set. Last year she was the only Pac-12 player to average over 2.50 kills and 3.50 digs per set. Additionally, Nuneviller is the only player in the conference to lead her team in both kills and digs. She also leads the Pac-12 with 13 double-doubles in the 16 matches, three more than the player with the second most, and has double-figure kills in all but two matches and double-figure digs in all but one match. Earlier in the year, Nuneviller became first player in Pac-12 history to win both offensive and defensive player of the week honors following wins over Arizona on Feb. 12 and 14. The conference began honoring offensive and defensive players of the week separately in 2011.
 
HISTORIC EFFORT
In Oregon's match vs. Washington on March 7, Brooke Nuneviller turned in an unforgettable performance, putting down 35 kills on 65 swings with just one hitting error vs. Washington on March 7. She is the first Pac-12 player in the rally scoring era to have at least 35 kills in a match with one or fewer errors while her kills total ranks seventh all-time at Oregon and second in the rally scoring era. Nuneviller is also the only NCAA player since at least 2014 to have 35 kills and one error in a match.
 
SEND IT BACK
Oregon has put up strong blocking numbers throughout the season, currently fourth in the conference averaging 2.47 blocks per set. The Ducks have either matched or had more blocks than their opponent in all 13 of their wins this season. Abby Hansen has led the blocking efforts for the Ducks, currently third in the conference with 1.31 blocks per set. She is one of three players in the Pac-12 to have nine blocks in multiple matches this year, tallying a career-high 10 vs. Colorado on Feb. 28, while recording nine at Washington State on Jan. 24. Additionally, three other Oregon players are averaging at least 0.60 blocks per set with Karson Bacon, Morgan Lewis and Gloria Mutiri all above that mark.
 
DOUBLE-(DOUBLE) THE FUN
Through 16 matches, Oregon players have combined for 27 double-doubles, with 15 of those coming in the last eight matches. Brooke Nuneviller has one in 13 of the first 16 matches while Kylie Robinson has six, with Nuneviller achieving the feat each time with kills and digs and Robinson with assists and digs. Elise Ferreira is next with three, while Georgia Murphy and Taylor Borup each have two and Taylor Williams has one.