University of Oregon
7-4 (1-1Pac-12)
Arizona
11-3 (1-1Pac-12)
Volleyball Falls in Top-20 Matchup
09/28/15 | Women's Volleyball
TUCSON, Ariz. – The No. 18 Oregon volleyball team fell to No. 14 Arizona in three sets, Sunday, 25-15, 25-16, 25-23.
How it Happened: The Ducks (7-4, 1-1 Pac-12) were plagued by some uncharacteristic errors in the early going, making it difficult to find a rhythm offensively. A 5-0 run in the first set gave Arizona an 18-11 edge before going on to win, and while the Ducks were even with the Wildcats midway through the second set, Arizona closed on a 10-2 run to go into intermission with a 2-0 lead.
The Ducks came out of the break looking much sharper, and they remained so throughout the final set, hitting .378. The Green and Yellow jumped out to a 6-2 lead with kill leaders Martenne Bettendorf (9) and Lindsey Vander Weide (8) stepping up before Arizona responded by tying the set at 12. And while the Wildcats edged in front, Oregon fought off two match points before going down 25-23.
Vander Weide highlighted the first week of conference play, averaging 4.71 kill/set while hitting .293 and also recording 4.29 digs/set. The freshman was working every phase and even played a major role in serve-receive for the Ducks.
What it Means: Oregon split its first Pac-12 series after defeating Oregon State on Thursday and will finally play in front of a home crowd at Matthew Knight arena next weekend, for the first time in 2015.
In a convincing win against their in-state rival, the young Ducks hit .247, compared to .147 on Sunday.
Coach Moore has stressed the importance of consistency while battling through road matches and a competitive conference, something not easily achieved with a young team. A renewed attack in the third set was a better representation of how the Ducks have performed this season, although it was not quite enough to spark a comeback against a formidable opponent.
Notes and Numbers: Amanda Benson led the team with 16 digs…she leads the conference with 4.80 digs/set this season and move to No. 5 on the Oregon career list with 1,242 digs…Sumeet Gill recorded a career-high four kills…transfer Roni LaPierre appeared in her first match in an Oregon uniform.
What's Next: The Ducks will host their first pair of matches next weekend with Colorado, Friday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m., and Utah, Saturday at 5 p.m.
