LOS ANGELES
? The 19th-ranked Oregon
women's volleyball team was unable to break its losing streak on Friday night,
dropping its fourth straight to No. 6 USC, 0-3 (25-30, 20-30, 26-30) at the
Lyon Center.
The loss drops the Ducks to 14-6 on the year and 3-5 in the
Pacific-10 Conference. All five of Oregon's
losses in the Pac-10 have come to top 10 teams, and Friday's match was just the
second time all season Oregon has
been swept by an opponent.
The Trojans improve to 16-2 overall and 5-2 in the Pac-10.
USC held Oregon
to a season-low .132 attacking percentage, marking just the third time a team
has held the Ducks under .200 this year.
Junior Gorana Maricic led Oregon
with 14 kills, while freshman Heather Meyers produced a team-leading hitting
percentage of .318 (12-5-22),
while also adding six blocks.
Asia Kaczor led USC with 16 kills and 11 digs, while Jessica
Gysin also tallied a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs. Setter Taylor
Carico had a match-high 34 assists, and also put down five kills.
While USC hit .226 on the night, it was the Trojans' defense
that totaled 56 digs led by Alli Hillgren's 21. USC also added a match-high
16.0 blocks led by Bethany Johansen's seven.
But despite the Trojans' stellar play, Oregon's
biggest nemesis may have been itself, compiling 29 attacking errors and five
service errors.
Oregon will
remain on the road for one more week, traveling to Corvallis
next Friday for a 7 p.m. match with
the Beavers. The Ducks return to McArthur Court
on Thursday, Oct. 25 to host Arizona
at 7 p.m.
QUICK QUACKS: USC maintains its 40-6 series lead over Oregon...head
coach Jim Moore is 11-33 in Pac-10 action during his three seasons at Oregon...the
Ducks are now 13-2 on the year in three-game matches.