Wednesday, October 25
Eugene, OR
7:00 PM
University of Oregon
vs
Utah
Second Half of Pac-12 Play Begins With Top-15 Match
10/24/17 | Women's Volleyball
The No. 15 Ducks (13-5, 6-4) will kick off the second half of Pac-12 play this week with a pair of home matches, beginning Wednesday at 7 p.m. against No. 12 Utah (Pac-12 Networks)
EUGENE, Ore. - The 15th-ranked Oregon volleyball team will look to get the second half of Pac-12 play off to a strong start this week with a pair of home matches, beginning Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT with a top-15 match-up against No. 12 Utah on Pac-12 Networks. Oregon will wrap the week and its current four-match home stand on Friday at 7 p.m. against Colorado.
No. 15 Oregon (13-5) went 6-4 in the first half of Pac-12 play while running out multiple different lineups due to injury, but the Ducks enter the second half of conference play healthier and on a three-match winning streak as they look to set themselves up for a host bid in the NCAA Tournament. With SO OH Jolie Rasmussen back from injury and in full swing, Oregon returns to the lineup it intended to use coming into the season as the Utes and Buffaloes come to Eugene.
ALL TICKETS $3 ON WEDNESDAY FOR SPIKE CANCER NIGHT
Fans will be able to purchase any seat in Matthew Knight Arena for $3 for Wednesday's match against No. 12 Utah, with all proceeds going towards cancer prevention research. The Ducks will wear pink warm-ups before the match, and fans are encouraged to wear pink as well. A limited amount of long-sleeve shirts with a pink fighting Duck on them will be available for sale during the match, with proceeds once again benefitting cancer prevention research.
Wednesday's match against No. 12 Utah will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks, with Rich Burk and Amy Gant on the call. Friday's match will be streamed live at GoDucks.com/live, and both matches can be listened to on 88.1 FM or on kwva.uoregon.,edu with Matt Tyra providing play-by-play. Live stats for both matches can be found at oregon.statbroadcast.com, and updates will be provieded during both matches on Twitter via @OregonVB.
OREGON AMONG NATION'S TOP TEAMS
The Ducks have been a constant in the AVCA top 25 this season, slotting in at No. 15 in the last three AVCA coaches polls and peaking at No. 8 in week four. Oregon has consistently been one of the nation's top teams in the NCAA RPI rankings, perhaps the most important rankings in terms of NCAA Tournament seeding, slotting in at No. 10 this week. Wednesday's match will be a battle of two teams in the NCAA RPI top 10, with Utah coming in this week at No. 9.
DUCKS LOOK TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT MKA
Oregon has been a force to be reckoned with on its home floor this season with a 10-1 record inside Matthew Knight Arena. Eight of those 10 home wins have been sweeps, with UO's only home loss coming to No. 2 Stanford. Oregon is hitting .321 at home this season while holding opponents to a .151 mark.
ABOUT NO. 12 UTAH (17-4, 8-2 Pac-12)
The 12th-ranked Utes come to Eugene looking for payback against the Ducks after a five-set loss to UO in Salt Lake City in Septemeber, Utah's only Pac-12 loss before losing in five to USC last weekend. Second in the Pac-12 standings, Utah leads the conference with 14.61 kills per set while hitting .267, No. 2 in the Pac-12, and Adora Anae is fourth in the conference with 4.20 kills per set.
ABOUT COLORADO (15-6, 5-5 Pac-12)
While Utah comes to Eugene looking to avenge its loss to Oregon earlier this year, the Ducks will try and pull even in the season series with Colorado after losing in four in Boulder on Sept. 30. Colorado has two players in the top 10 in the Pac-12 in kills per set, including former Duck Frankie Shebby (3.40), and the Buffs are fourth in the conference with 13.90 kills per set.
DUCKS SWEEP ARIZONA SCHOOLS
Oregon fell behind, 2-1, to Arizona last Friday in Matthew Knight Arena before a lineup adjustment sparked a comeback victory for the Ducks in five sets. After the Wildcats dominated set three, Matt Ulmer moved SO OH Jolie Rasmussen, in her first match back from injury, back to her original outside hitter role and SR RS Taylor Agost from the outside back to right-side hitter. The change paid off in spades, as Oregon dominated the final two sets, 25-9 and 15-10, to win the match. Agost led Oregon with 14 kills and 15 digs, SO RS Willow Johnson was big late in the match while finishing with 12 kills and SO MB Ronika Stone notched her first career double-double with 10 kills and a career-high 10 blocks. Rasmussen finished with 10 kills and six digs in her first match since Sept. 22.
GILL'S OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT OPENING THINGS UP FOR OREGON
After struggling offensively to start the season, JR MB Sumeet Gill has come on strong for the Ducks over the last four matches while continuing to provide a solid net presence defensively. Gill has put down at least eight kills in each of the last four matches, including a career-high-tying nine last Saturday against ASU, and has hit .475 during that stretch. Gill's offensive emergence has opened up an already balanced Oregon attack even more, and she continues to lead the Ducks on the block with 1.22 per set.
AGOST STEPS UP FOR DUCKS AMID INJURIES
With SO OH Jolie Rasmussen and SO OH/L Brooke Van Sickle both dealing with injuries this season, SR OH/RS Taylor Agost moved to outside hitter for the first time since high school prior to Oregon's match against Stanford on Oct. 6 and stepped up big-time for the Ducks. Agost was phenomenal in four-plus matches in the six-rotation role, hitting .256 with 3.67 kills per set, 2.24 digs per set, 16 blocks and eight aces. Agost established career-highs for kills in back-to-back matches on Oct. 11 and 13, putting down 19 at Washington before recording 24 on a lifetime-high 63 swings at Washington State. Agost had 14 kills and a career-high 15 digs against Arizona before moving back to the right side.
DUCKS AMONG PAC-12 AND NATION'S BEST
The No. 15 Ducks have been among the best in both the Pac-12 and the nation this season, as apparent by their standing in multiple statistical rankings. Oregon is third in the Pac-12 and 24th in the nation with a .266 team hitting percentage, and fifth in the conference with 13.71 kills per set. The Ducks are also third in the Pac-12 with 1.34 service aces per set. Defensively, Oregon is third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.184), and fifth in the conference and 35th nationally with 2.57 blocks per set.
EFFICIENT STONE ONE OF TOP HITTERS IN PAC-12
SO MB Ronika Stone is sixth in the conference with a .349 hitting percentage, while also ranking sixth with 0.34 aces per set (23 total). JR MB Sumeet Gill ranks seventh in blocks per set (1.22), and SR S Maggie Scott is 10th in the conference with 6.09 assists per set while splitting time in Oregon's 6-2 offense.
DUCKS A TOP-25 STAPLE
After slotting in at No. 15 in the last three AVCA coaches polls, the Ducks have now been inside the top 25 in all 10 polls so far in 2017, as well as each of the last 23 polls dating back to Sept. 12, 2016. Oregon has also been inside the top 15 in eight of the last nine weeks, just missing it in week six at No. 16. The Ducks peaked with a No. 8 ranking on September 18, the program's first top-10 ranking since November 2014 and highest since being No. 8 in the 2013 preseason poll.
EFFICIENCY KEY FOR OREGON
There has been one constant in all of the Ducks' victories so far in 2017: an advatage in team hitting percentage. Oregon is 13-1 this season when leading in hitting percentage, losing its first such match on Oct. 11 at Washington (.257-.219), but 0-4 when its opponent finishes with a more efficient night on the attack. The Ducks are 7-0 when hitting .300 or better this year, and 12-0 when holding their opponent under the .200 mark compared to 1-5 when their opponent hits better than .200. Oregon is also 10-1 when winning on the block this year.
UP NEXT
A four-match road trip looms for the Ducks after this week's matches against Utah and Colorado, beginning Nov. 3 at California and Nov. 5 at No. 2 Stanford.
No. 15 Oregon (13-5) went 6-4 in the first half of Pac-12 play while running out multiple different lineups due to injury, but the Ducks enter the second half of conference play healthier and on a three-match winning streak as they look to set themselves up for a host bid in the NCAA Tournament. With SO OH Jolie Rasmussen back from injury and in full swing, Oregon returns to the lineup it intended to use coming into the season as the Utes and Buffaloes come to Eugene.
ALL TICKETS $3 ON WEDNESDAY FOR SPIKE CANCER NIGHT
Fans will be able to purchase any seat in Matthew Knight Arena for $3 for Wednesday's match against No. 12 Utah, with all proceeds going towards cancer prevention research. The Ducks will wear pink warm-ups before the match, and fans are encouraged to wear pink as well. A limited amount of long-sleeve shirts with a pink fighting Duck on them will be available for sale during the match, with proceeds once again benefitting cancer prevention research.
HOW TO FOLLOWWe're taking on Utah Wednesday at 7pm and ALL seats are only $3! Come out & help support cancer prevention researchhttps://t.co/oXvfQF9R4S pic.twitter.com/n4pdp4JcOM
— Oregon Volleyball (@OregonVB) October 23, 2017
Wednesday's match against No. 12 Utah will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks, with Rich Burk and Amy Gant on the call. Friday's match will be streamed live at GoDucks.com/live, and both matches can be listened to on 88.1 FM or on kwva.uoregon.,edu with Matt Tyra providing play-by-play. Live stats for both matches can be found at oregon.statbroadcast.com, and updates will be provieded during both matches on Twitter via @OregonVB.
OREGON AMONG NATION'S TOP TEAMS
The Ducks have been a constant in the AVCA top 25 this season, slotting in at No. 15 in the last three AVCA coaches polls and peaking at No. 8 in week four. Oregon has consistently been one of the nation's top teams in the NCAA RPI rankings, perhaps the most important rankings in terms of NCAA Tournament seeding, slotting in at No. 10 this week. Wednesday's match will be a battle of two teams in the NCAA RPI top 10, with Utah coming in this week at No. 9.
DUCKS LOOK TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT MKA
Oregon has been a force to be reckoned with on its home floor this season with a 10-1 record inside Matthew Knight Arena. Eight of those 10 home wins have been sweeps, with UO's only home loss coming to No. 2 Stanford. Oregon is hitting .321 at home this season while holding opponents to a .151 mark.
ABOUT NO. 12 UTAH (17-4, 8-2 Pac-12)
The 12th-ranked Utes come to Eugene looking for payback against the Ducks after a five-set loss to UO in Salt Lake City in Septemeber, Utah's only Pac-12 loss before losing in five to USC last weekend. Second in the Pac-12 standings, Utah leads the conference with 14.61 kills per set while hitting .267, No. 2 in the Pac-12, and Adora Anae is fourth in the conference with 4.20 kills per set.
ABOUT COLORADO (15-6, 5-5 Pac-12)
While Utah comes to Eugene looking to avenge its loss to Oregon earlier this year, the Ducks will try and pull even in the season series with Colorado after losing in four in Boulder on Sept. 30. Colorado has two players in the top 10 in the Pac-12 in kills per set, including former Duck Frankie Shebby (3.40), and the Buffs are fourth in the conference with 13.90 kills per set.
DUCKS SWEEP ARIZONA SCHOOLS
Oregon fell behind, 2-1, to Arizona last Friday in Matthew Knight Arena before a lineup adjustment sparked a comeback victory for the Ducks in five sets. After the Wildcats dominated set three, Matt Ulmer moved SO OH Jolie Rasmussen, in her first match back from injury, back to her original outside hitter role and SR RS Taylor Agost from the outside back to right-side hitter. The change paid off in spades, as Oregon dominated the final two sets, 25-9 and 15-10, to win the match. Agost led Oregon with 14 kills and 15 digs, SO RS Willow Johnson was big late in the match while finishing with 12 kills and SO MB Ronika Stone notched her first career double-double with 10 kills and a career-high 10 blocks. Rasmussen finished with 10 kills and six digs in her first match since Sept. 22.
GILL'S OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT OPENING THINGS UP FOR OREGON
After struggling offensively to start the season, JR MB Sumeet Gill has come on strong for the Ducks over the last four matches while continuing to provide a solid net presence defensively. Gill has put down at least eight kills in each of the last four matches, including a career-high-tying nine last Saturday against ASU, and has hit .475 during that stretch. Gill's offensive emergence has opened up an already balanced Oregon attack even more, and she continues to lead the Ducks on the block with 1.22 per set.
AGOST STEPS UP FOR DUCKS AMID INJURIES
With SO OH Jolie Rasmussen and SO OH/L Brooke Van Sickle both dealing with injuries this season, SR OH/RS Taylor Agost moved to outside hitter for the first time since high school prior to Oregon's match against Stanford on Oct. 6 and stepped up big-time for the Ducks. Agost was phenomenal in four-plus matches in the six-rotation role, hitting .256 with 3.67 kills per set, 2.24 digs per set, 16 blocks and eight aces. Agost established career-highs for kills in back-to-back matches on Oct. 11 and 13, putting down 19 at Washington before recording 24 on a lifetime-high 63 swings at Washington State. Agost had 14 kills and a career-high 15 digs against Arizona before moving back to the right side.
DUCKS AMONG PAC-12 AND NATION'S BEST
The No. 15 Ducks have been among the best in both the Pac-12 and the nation this season, as apparent by their standing in multiple statistical rankings. Oregon is third in the Pac-12 and 24th in the nation with a .266 team hitting percentage, and fifth in the conference with 13.71 kills per set. The Ducks are also third in the Pac-12 with 1.34 service aces per set. Defensively, Oregon is third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.184), and fifth in the conference and 35th nationally with 2.57 blocks per set.
EFFICIENT STONE ONE OF TOP HITTERS IN PAC-12
SO MB Ronika Stone is sixth in the conference with a .349 hitting percentage, while also ranking sixth with 0.34 aces per set (23 total). JR MB Sumeet Gill ranks seventh in blocks per set (1.22), and SR S Maggie Scott is 10th in the conference with 6.09 assists per set while splitting time in Oregon's 6-2 offense.
DUCKS A TOP-25 STAPLE
After slotting in at No. 15 in the last three AVCA coaches polls, the Ducks have now been inside the top 25 in all 10 polls so far in 2017, as well as each of the last 23 polls dating back to Sept. 12, 2016. Oregon has also been inside the top 15 in eight of the last nine weeks, just missing it in week six at No. 16. The Ducks peaked with a No. 8 ranking on September 18, the program's first top-10 ranking since November 2014 and highest since being No. 8 in the 2013 preseason poll.
EFFICIENCY KEY FOR OREGON
There has been one constant in all of the Ducks' victories so far in 2017: an advatage in team hitting percentage. Oregon is 13-1 this season when leading in hitting percentage, losing its first such match on Oct. 11 at Washington (.257-.219), but 0-4 when its opponent finishes with a more efficient night on the attack. The Ducks are 7-0 when hitting .300 or better this year, and 12-0 when holding their opponent under the .200 mark compared to 1-5 when their opponent hits better than .200. Oregon is also 10-1 when winning on the block this year.
UP NEXT
A four-match road trip looms for the Ducks after this week's matches against Utah and Colorado, beginning Nov. 3 at California and Nov. 5 at No. 2 Stanford.
Players Mentioned
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/L/DS
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