#13 Oregon Downs Colorado in Four Sets
Oregon (12-0, 2-0 Pac-12) had to fight out of early deficits in both the first and second sets, but rallied to win both.
(EUGENE, Ore. ) — The No. 13 Oregon volleyball team defeated Colorado in four sets, 33-31, 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, Saturday, in front of a boisterous crowd of 3,551 at Matthew Knight Arena.
How it Happened:
Oregon (12-0, 2-0 Pac-12) had to fight out of early deficits in both the first and second sets, but rallied to win both. Colorado scored the first seven points of the first set before the Ducks got on the scoreboard. Even at 20-14, Oregon had a lot of work to do but went on an 11-4 run to take their first lead at 25-24 and create a set point, the first of eight combined between the two teams before the period was decided.
The first set was a sign of things to come, as almost the entire match was tightly contested. In the four sets, the two teams traded the lead 18 times, while the score was tied 25 times.
After dropping the third set, the Ducks stormed out to a 7-3 lead in the fourth set to find themselves in unfamiliar territory for the night, leading early. The Buffs rallied just as the Ducks did in previous sets and with the score tied at 23-23,a kill by Brenner followed by a block from Serena Warner and Martenne Bettendorf finished the night.
What it Means:
It has been relatively smooth sailing for Oregon this season, despite a challenging nonconference schedule and an intense win, Saturday. The Ducks will face their biggest test of the season, Friday, when they take their undefeated record and possibly a top-10 ranking to the No. 1 team in the country, Stanford.
In addition to Brenner, Bettendorf and Shebby each hitting double figure kills, Kacey Nady finished nine kills and no attack errors, while Naya Crittenden recorded seven kills. The depth has been evident all season and has coach Jim Moore excited.
“Good teams have maybe one or two good players but all of our hitters can put balls down and that’s really what makes this team special,” he said.
Shout Out to the Students:
“The students were awesome,” said Moore. “They were the difference tonight there’s no question. I begged them to come yesterday at the pep rally at orientation. I said ‘If you come you’re going to have fun’ and I think they had fun, a lot of yelling anyway.”
Notes and Numbers:
Liz Brenner’s 18 kills ties a season high while her 19 digs sets a new season best, one shy of her career high…Frankie Shebby tied her career high 15 kills…Amanda Benson tied her season best of 21 digs…Serena Warner led the team with six blocks while Shellsy Ashen and Maggie Scott each recorded 27 assists.
Up Next:
The match against Stanford on Friday will be televised live on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m.
The Ducks will also face California, Sunday at 11:00 a.m. That match will be on the Pac-12 Networks.
Play of the Night:
Martenne Bettendorf ended the first set with a kill to give the Ducks a 33-31 victory.
Source: www.goducks.com
Volleyball: Benson Post Game
