University of Oregon
5-2
Nebraska
4-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 25 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 12 | 2 |
| Nebraska | 21 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Ducks Drop Five-Setter to No. 4 Nebraska
09/06/15 | Women's Volleyball
AUSTIN, Texas ? The Oregon volleyball team lost in heartbreaking fashion at the Vert Challenge, Saturday, falling to No. 4 Nebraska in five sets, 21-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-12.
How It Happened: The Ducks were the superior team in the first two sets, serving well and keeping Nebraska from getting good looks in their attack. Lindsey Vander Weide played a big part in the early going, notching 10 kills in the first two sets. As a team the Ducks were playing very efficiently before the intermission, hitting .324 in the first set and .286 in the second. Even as the Nebraska started the comeback in the third set, Oregon was in the midst of its best offensive set of the night with a .452 clip.
The tide turned after the break as Nebraska started to find their rhythm offensively, getting more swings in system to win 25-23 in the third set. The Huskers followed with a 25-20 win in the fourth set, a frame that saw seven ties and four lead changes before Nebraska eventually created some separation.
In the fifth set, the Ducks were able to pick up some momentum after a kill by Lauren Page followed by a big block from Page and Vander Weide forcing Nebraska to take a timeout. The two teams exchanged one more point before Nebraska scored the final three to claim the match.
What It Means: After falling to Florida in straight sets the night before, the Ducks came out with something to prove against another fourth-ranked opponent. Although Oregon will leave Austin without a win, the results to an early-season test show the Ducks can be extremely competitive against the nation's best.
After two tough matches this weekend, Oregon will have two more chances to bounce back as it continues its tour of Texas with matches against UT San-Antonio and Texas State.
All-Tournament Team: Martenne Bettendorf and Amanda Benson were named to the Vert Challenge All-Tournament Team. It is the second all-tournament for each of the Oregon upperclassmen, as both were honored at the Temple Invitational.
Notes and Numbers: Oregon finished the night with a .294 hitting percentage...Lauren Page led in that category with 10 kills on 15 attempts and no errors (.667)...Amanda Benson finished the night with 21 digs...Alex Hojnar set a career high with four aces...the Ducks finished with eight aces in total, the same as their match against George Washington earlier in the week.
What's Next: Oregon will play UT San-Antonio (6-1), Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT. The match will be streamed live here.
