University of Oregon
Portland State
Ducks Take Oregon Kickoff Classic Crown, Beat Portland State
08/27/06 | Women's Volleyball
EUGENE, Ore. ? The University of Oregon volleyball team took the championship match of the Oregon Kickoff Classic on Sunday, downing intrastate rival Portland State in five games at McArthur Court.
The Ducks (2-0) won 30-26, 33-31, 30-32, 26-30 and 15-11, staving off a spirited comeback from the pesky Vikings (1-1).
Oregon was staring at match point in Game 3 leading 29-25, but Portland State was able to escape being swept and used momentum to grab Game 4 as well.
“This is the best thing that could happen to us,” said second-year head coach Jim Moore. “It's important to be put in a stressful situation early in the season. We should play better under stress as a result.”
Five players recorded double-digit points and kills for the Ducks, led by sophomore Mira Djuric, who posted team highs of 25.0 points and 20 kills.
“We had too much anxiety in the fourth game,” Djuric said. “We are a young team that has to learn each other's styles. We had to fight through this and we did.”
Senior Erin Little was at the top of her game with a match-best .379 attack percentage and 23.5 points on 16 kills, three total blocks and a career-high six aces.
“It was reassuring to know that we have the ability to finish games when put in that kind of situation,” Little said.
Oregon's freshmen front line tandem of Neticia Enesi and Sonja Newcombe showed flashes of brilliance. Newcombe had a double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs, and led the Ducks with six blocks.
“It's good to have all kinds of circumstances,” Newcombe said. “If we had come in and won 3-0, we may have taken the win for granted.
Enesi scored 20.5 points and recorded eight digs, including a possible match saving one on a sinking ball down the line with Oregon behind by a point in the deciding game.
Sophomore libero Katie Swoboda had 27 digs to equal Portland State senior Jessica Brodie for the match high. The 5-6 Brodie paced PSU with 34.0 points on 33 kills and a block.
The Vikings hung around in large part thanks to 20.0 total blocks compared to 14.0 for Oregon.
The Ducks next three matches are on the road, starting with a trip to Long Beach State on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
