University of Oregon
18-9, 9-9Pac-10
Washington
23-5, 13-5Pac-10
No. 18 Ducks End Drought at No. 4 Huskies with 3-2 Comeback
11/28/09 | Women's Volleyball
* A boxscore and play-by-play is located in the LINKS box to the right, and updated season/career stats are available via the link above.
SEATTLE - The No. 18 University of Oregon volleyball team (19-9, 9-9) wrapped up the regular season with another 3-2 storybook comeback win, this time over No. 4 Washington (23-5, 13-5) Friday night and ended a 17-match losing streak vs. the conference-leading Huskies
After losing the first two sets, 15-25, 21-25, Oregon came back from an 0-2 deficit time for the second time the last three matches (and third time in head coach Jim Moore's five-year Duck tenure) to win the final sets, 25-23, 31-29 and 15-13.
Senior outside hitter Sonja Newcombe led Oregon with a career-high 36 kills and .382 hitting percentage to pace the Ducks in the categories for the 15th and fifth times this season, respectively, while her 21 digs marked her 47th career and 13th double-double of the season.
The Lake Arrowhead, Calif., native Newcombe's 36.5 kills was also a new career high by 6.5 points, and only 1.5 points off the Pac-10 season high.
Junior outside hitter Heather Meyers tied her career high in kills (20), and also hit .298, and her season-high 17 digs marked her eight double-double of the season and 12th of her career.
Freshman Katherine Fischer's 13 kills and 16 digs were just shy of her career bests (15 / 17) and gave the outside hitter her fourth double-double of the season and first in seven matches.
Senior setter Nevena Djordjevic raised her career best in assists for the second straight week with her 70 tally Friday - four better than last week's five-set best vs. then-No. 7 UCLA that was also part of an 0-2 comeback.
Freshman libero Kellie Kawasaki led UO with her 22 digs - two more than her previous season and career high - and senior Amanda Westrick's three aces were one shy of her season and career best.
"It was gutsy performance in so many ways," Oregon head coach Jim Moore said. "I'm besides myself and not sure how to explain it. Sonja had a truly amazing match - she raised her already outstanding play to another level. It was also made possible by another great performance by Heather and the whole team. We stayed after it, and didn't worry about the score the last three sets, and just played hard. I could go on and on about how hard and tough they played and it still wouldn't do justice."
In the team comparison, UO held advantages in kills (78-77), assists (78-71), aces (5-2) and digs (92-81), and Washington held edges in blocks (15.5-6.0) and hitting (.301-.267).
The Huskies' Kindra Carlson led the home team in kills (24) and points (26.5), and other category leaders included Jenna Hagglund (67 assists), Tamari Miyashiro (31 digs, 1 ace), Lauren Barfield (9 blocks) and Airial Salvo (1 ace).
UO's last win in the series came via 3-1 fashion in Eugene in November 9, 2000, and its previous win before that came in 1995, a 3-0 Duck sweep. That said, the rivalry had still been intense lately as UO had pushed the Huskies to five sets four times and four sets three more instances in Moore's previous nine Duck matches vs. UW.
Friday's win also marked the last Pac-10 opponent that fifth-year Duck head coach Jim Moore had yet to beat in his Oregon stint. The other previous league rival that UO recently beat for the first time in his tenure was then-No. 5 Stanford in mid-October (a 3-2 Duck victory).
Oregon had entered the weekend with a 1-6 road record in the most-parity ridden Pac-10 season ever, but savored its second road victory of the week after a 3-1 win at Washington State Wednesday night.
The Ducks' three-match winning streak heading into the postseason is also its longest of the conference slate after it had won two straight matches once before with its upsets of then-No. 13 Cal and then-No. 5 Stanford by 3-0 and 3-2 scores in mid-October in Eugene.
In other action around the 'Conference of Champions' Friday night - No. 16 USC won 3-1 at home over Arizona State, Washington State won 3-2 over Oregon State at home, and No. 9 UCLA swept No. 19 Arizona 3-0 at home. Two more matches remain on the league docket for Saturday afternoon - No. 19 Arizona at No. 16 USC and Arizona State at No. 9 UCLA.
Looking ahead, the NCAA volleyball tournament selection announcement will be televised on Sunday, November 29 at noon (3 p.m. Eastern Time) on ESPNews.
Oregon will aim for its fourth straight invitation for the first time in school history under Moore, compared with only four trips prior in 1984, '86, '87 and '89. Under his able leadership, UO has enjoyed consecutive NCAA Regional 'Sweet 16' trips for the first time in 2007 and '08 and a 4-3 record in the postseason in his tenure, while it went 1-4 in its five previous tourney matches before his arrival.
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