Thursday, September 22
Eugene, Ore.
7:00 PM
University of Oregon
vs
Oregon State
Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Agost Riding Hot Streak Into Pac-12 Play
09/22/16 | Women's Volleyball, @GoDucksMoseley
Junior Taylor Agost has all-America potential according to her coach, and she's been about that good entering Thursday's Civil War in MKA (7 p.m., Pac-12).
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon volleyball coach Jim Moore has never been shy about laying out his expectations for Taylor Agost.
When Moore was recruiting Agost out of Clackamas High, her explosive athleticism had him envisioning greatness. She could just about jump out of the gym; it was no surprise, then, that the UO coach established a high ceiling for her career with the Ducks.
"He told me, 'If you're not an all-American, I'm not doing my job,'" Agost recalled recently. "That stuck with me."
As Pac-12 play dawns this season for the Ducks, beginning Thursday in Matthew Knight Arena against Oregon State (7 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Agost may not quite be playing at an all-American level yet. But the UO junior is making progress toward achieving the goal Moore set for her out of high school.
Oregon (7-2) enters Thursday's Civil War riding a seven-match win streak. During that stretch, Agost has hit a remarkable .486. On Sept. 6 at Seattle, she matched her career high with 17 kills. The next weekend, when the Ducks hosted the Nike Invitational, Agost was named MVP for hitting .432 with 2.75 kills per set.
"Physically, she's special," Moore said. "So the expectations are there for her to be special. She can go up and do things that nobody else we've had can do. And we've had a few all-Americans."
Agost, from Happy Valley, Ore., seems to have found a home at the right-side hitting position, where she moved last season when the Ducks employed a 6-2 rotation. With the setter typically positioned closer to that side, Agost can use her explosive leaping ability to take quick, short sets and slam them past the opposing block.
Playing on the right side also means Agost is lined up across from opposing teams' outside hitters. Her blocking, Moore said, "is dramatically better than it was a year ago," and while there's still more progress for Agost to make, she's enjoying that role as well.
Like a basketball player who can't afford to be just a scorer, Agost is working to prove herself more than just a dynamic offensive threat.
"I've really worked on improving my blocking; being able to go after the outside hitters is fun," she said. "It's been difficult, but I'm proud of how far the team has come in general. Our blocking has improved drastically, and the best part is, we're still getting better.
"I want to be great in every aspect of my game. I'm even working on my floor defense, and playing back row. That's something that's always been important to me too. It's not quite there yet, but I'm really working on being that all-America player."
That was the standard Moore set some five years ago. As Agost enters Pac-12 play in her junior season, she's showing signs of reaching that potential.
When Moore was recruiting Agost out of Clackamas High, her explosive athleticism had him envisioning greatness. She could just about jump out of the gym; it was no surprise, then, that the UO coach established a high ceiling for her career with the Ducks.
"He told me, 'If you're not an all-American, I'm not doing my job,'" Agost recalled recently. "That stuck with me."
As Pac-12 play dawns this season for the Ducks, beginning Thursday in Matthew Knight Arena against Oregon State (7 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Agost may not quite be playing at an all-American level yet. But the UO junior is making progress toward achieving the goal Moore set for her out of high school.
Oregon (7-2) enters Thursday's Civil War riding a seven-match win streak. During that stretch, Agost has hit a remarkable .486. On Sept. 6 at Seattle, she matched her career high with 17 kills. The next weekend, when the Ducks hosted the Nike Invitational, Agost was named MVP for hitting .432 with 2.75 kills per set.
"Physically, she's special," Moore said. "So the expectations are there for her to be special. She can go up and do things that nobody else we've had can do. And we've had a few all-Americans."
Agost, from Happy Valley, Ore., seems to have found a home at the right-side hitting position, where she moved last season when the Ducks employed a 6-2 rotation. With the setter typically positioned closer to that side, Agost can use her explosive leaping ability to take quick, short sets and slam them past the opposing block.
Playing on the right side also means Agost is lined up across from opposing teams' outside hitters. Her blocking, Moore said, "is dramatically better than it was a year ago," and while there's still more progress for Agost to make, she's enjoying that role as well.
Like a basketball player who can't afford to be just a scorer, Agost is working to prove herself more than just a dynamic offensive threat.
"I've really worked on improving my blocking; being able to go after the outside hitters is fun," she said. "It's been difficult, but I'm proud of how far the team has come in general. Our blocking has improved drastically, and the best part is, we're still getting better.
"I want to be great in every aspect of my game. I'm even working on my floor defense, and playing back row. That's something that's always been important to me too. It's not quite there yet, but I'm really working on being that all-America player."
That was the standard Moore set some five years ago. As Agost enters Pac-12 play in her junior season, she's showing signs of reaching that potential.
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