Oregon Off to 8-0 Start with Straight Set Win over Michigan
The Ducks will face Portland State, Monday at 7:00 p.m. in Portland. The Vikings are 2-7 this season.
(EUGENE, Ore. ) — The Oregon volleyball team swept the weekend with a straight-set win against Michigan, Saturday, 25-17, 25-19, 27-25.
How It Happened:
The Ducks picked up where they left off on Friday night against Michigan State, controlling the first two sets. In each, Oregon jumped out to quick leads, ones that they would never give up as the Wolverines trailed wire-to-wire.
The third set tested the Ducks as the two teams battled through four lead changes and 10 tie scores. Michigan had a chance to extend the match with two set points at 24-23 and again at 25-24, but were foiled each time. Oregon took advantage of the opportunity and scored two straight points to finish the match at 27-25.
Freshman Frankie Shebby was once again a bright spot in the Oregon offense, tallying 15 kills and hitting .345 on the night. The reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week also contributed eight digs and two blocks on defense.
What it Means:
Oregon will now have to put the finishing touches on what looked to be a scary preseason schedule at the outset. The Ducks were able to navigate a pair of ranked teams as a well as a couple of five-set matches with relatively few bumps, and more importantly, no losses. Portland State and Seattle still remain, but the team’s resume is already a strong one.
"This was tough,” head coach Jim Moore said. “We still have Portland State and Seattle before we get to conference but this was brutal and we survived it and that was pretty special. It will help us a lot. They will be great wins at the end of the year so now we just have to learn how to play one point at a time."
Historic Offense:
The Oregon offense has been something to behold during the stretch, and continued to impress on Saturday. Spreading the ball around as they have done all season, the Ducks hit .419 and .500 in the first two sets before finishing the match at .346.
While the season is still in its early stages, the numbers are historic. The team’s .307 hitting line this season is on track for a school record which was set in 2008 (.289).
Notes and Numbers:
Shebby set a season high with 15 kills…after recording one block in the first two sets, the Ducks got back on track with six total blocks in the third set…Amanda Benson led the team with 13 digs while Liz Brenner joined her in double figures with 10.
Up Next:
The Ducks will face Portland State, Monday at 7:00 p.m. in Portland. The Vikings are 2-7 this season.
Source: goducks.com
