Sunday, November 19
Eugene, OR
1:00 PM
University of Oregon
vs
Washington
Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Ducks Return to Oregon for Stretch Run
11/14/17 | Women's Volleyball
Looking for a strong finish over the final four matches of the regular season, the No. 20 Ducks will play three straight at home and all four in the state of Oregon beginning Friday in MKA against Washington State (3 p.m., Pac-12 Network)
EUGENE, Ore. - With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the 20th-ranked Oregon volleyball team will return home this week to play three of its final four matches in Matthew Knight Arena and all four in the state of Oregon.
Coming off a tough five-set loss at Arizona last Sunday, the Ducks (16-8, 9-7 Pac-12) are looking for a strong finish over the final four conference matches as they try and earn a host bid in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Oregon will kick off its three-match home stand this Friday at 3 p.m. PT against Washington State before hosting No. 10 Washington on Sunday at 1 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Both matches against the Washington schools this weekend will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network, with Don Shaw and Krista Blunk on the call for both. Both matches can also be listened to live on 88.1 FM or kwva.uoregon.edu, with Matt Tyra providing play-by-play. Live stats for both matches can be found at Oregon.Statbroadcast.com, and live updates will be provided during all matches on Twitter via @OregonVB.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday's match against No. 10 Washington will be a big one for the Ducks, and multiple deals are being offered to provide best value to fans. Entry will be free for any fan with a ticket from Saturday's Oregon-Arizona football game, and fans can gain entry for just $3 by donating food at the doors. Sunday's match is also the BEOREGON match, an initiative that was launched as a "call to action for all Ducks to be their most authentic selves."
The Cougars come to Eugene at 4-12 in Pac-12 play, but with a couple quality conference wins over Colorado (3-1) and UCLA (3-2). WSU is hoping to beat the Ducks for the first time since 2005, as Oregon enters Friday's match with a 22-match winning streak over the Cougars. The Ducks puled out a dramatic five-set win over Washington State in Pullman on Oct. 13, with SR RS Taylor Agost providing a career-high 24 kills to lead the way and SO RS Willow Johnson sealing the win with two kills in the fifth. While last in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage, WSU is strong defensively, ranking second in both opponent hitting percentage (.188) and blocks per set (3.00).
ABOUT NO. 10 WASHINGTON (21-6, 11-5 Pac-12)
Last week, the 10th-ranked Huskies became the first team to beat No. 2 Stanford in conference play, taking down the Cardinal in four sets. At 11-5 in Pac-12 play, Washington is a game out of second place and has a lot to play for as the Huskies come to Eugene. The Ducks gave Washington all it could handle on Oct. 11 in Seattle, taking the Huskies to five sets and a 13-13 tie in the fifth before falling in a thriller. UW will also pose issues on the block, as it leads the Pac-12 with 3.10 blocks per set behind Lauren Sander's conference-best 1.48 blocks per set.
DUCKS LEAVE ARIZONA WITH TOUGH SPLIT
Oregon opened its last true road trip of the season last weekend with a straight-set sweep over Arizona State on Friday, 25-17, 25-23, 25-22, but was unable to complete the season sweep of the Arizona schools on Sunday after losing a 2-0 lead in a 24-26, 16-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-13 loss at Arizona. Oregon hit .300 with five players putting down seven or more kills at ASU, and the Ducks out-hit Arizona, .315 to .215, but were unable to hold on to the lead. SR RS Taylor Agost tied for the team lead at ASU with nine kills before leading with 18 on .514 hitting at Arizona, and SO OH Jolie Rasmussen (15 K, 10 DG) and JR OH Lindsey Vander Weide (11 K, 21 DG) each had double-doubles at Arizona.
HOME COOKIN'
While Oregon is under .500 on the road this season (4-5), the Ducks have done a good job of protecting their home court with an 11-2 record inside Matthew Knight Arena. UO is hitting .315 as a team at home while holding opponents to a .168 clip, and eight of the Ducks' 11 home wins have come by way of sweep.
DUCKS AMONG PAC-12 AND NATION'S BEST
The No. 20 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 second in the Pac-12 and 19th in the nation with a .275 team hitting percentage, and third in the conference with 1.29 service aces per set. Defensively, Oregon is fifth in the conference and 37th nationally with 2.51 blocks per set, and fifth in the Pac-12 in opponent hitting percentage (.198).
EFFICIENT STONE ONE OF TOP HITTERS IN PAC-12
SO MB Ronika Stone has been among one of the most efficient hitters in the Pac-12 this season, as she currently ranks third in the conference with a .369 hitting percentage. Stone is also ninth in the conference with 0.32 aces per set, and 10th with 1.16 blocks per set. SR S Maggie Scott is 10th in the conference with 6.12 assists per set while splitting time in Oregon's 6-2 offense.
DUCKS A TOP-25 STAPLE
After slotting in at No. 20 in the latest AVCA coaches poll, the Ducks have been inside the top 25 in 26 striaght polls, dating back to Sept. 12, 2016. UO was inside the top 18 for every poll until this week, and had six straight weeks at either No. 15 or No. 16. Oregon peaked at No. 8 on Sept. 18, the program's first top-10 ranking since November 2014 and highest since being No. 8 in the 2013 preseason poll. On Nov. 1, the NCAA selection committee tabbed Oregon at No. 9 in its early top 10 ranking reveal.
EFFICIENCY KEY FOR OREGON
There has been one constant in all of the Ducks' victories so far in 2017: an advantage in team hitting percentage. Oregon is 16-3 this season when leading in hitting percentage, but 0-5 when its opponent finishes with a more efficient night on the attack. The Ducks are 9-1 when hitting .300 or better this year, and 14-0 when holding their opponent under the .200 mark compared to 2-8 when their opponent hits better than .200. Oregon is also 13-4 when winning on the block this year, 12-3 when leading in kills and 12-1 when winning the first two sets.
UP NEXT
After hosting the Washington schools, Oregon will welcome USC to MKA next Wednesday ( 2 p.m.) before finishing the regular season at Oregon State next Friday (7 p.m.) in Corvallis.
Coming off a tough five-set loss at Arizona last Sunday, the Ducks (16-8, 9-7 Pac-12) are looking for a strong finish over the final four conference matches as they try and earn a host bid in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Oregon will kick off its three-match home stand this Friday at 3 p.m. PT against Washington State before hosting No. 10 Washington on Sunday at 1 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Both matches against the Washington schools this weekend will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network, with Don Shaw and Krista Blunk on the call for both. Both matches can also be listened to live on 88.1 FM or kwva.uoregon.edu, with Matt Tyra providing play-by-play. Live stats for both matches can be found at Oregon.Statbroadcast.com, and live updates will be provided during all matches on Twitter via @OregonVB.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday's match against No. 10 Washington will be a big one for the Ducks, and multiple deals are being offered to provide best value to fans. Entry will be free for any fan with a ticket from Saturday's Oregon-Arizona football game, and fans can gain entry for just $3 by donating food at the doors. Sunday's match is also the BEOREGON match, an initiative that was launched as a "call to action for all Ducks to be their most authentic selves."
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (15-13, 4-12 Pac-12)We have three home matches left in the regular season, and we need Matthew Knight Arena rocking for all three. Make your plans now! #GoDucks
— Oregon Volleyball (@OregonVB) November 13, 2017
Tickets: https://t.co/rLfXQ0LjW9 pic.twitter.com/CaHMPPsXQ5
The Cougars come to Eugene at 4-12 in Pac-12 play, but with a couple quality conference wins over Colorado (3-1) and UCLA (3-2). WSU is hoping to beat the Ducks for the first time since 2005, as Oregon enters Friday's match with a 22-match winning streak over the Cougars. The Ducks puled out a dramatic five-set win over Washington State in Pullman on Oct. 13, with SR RS Taylor Agost providing a career-high 24 kills to lead the way and SO RS Willow Johnson sealing the win with two kills in the fifth. While last in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage, WSU is strong defensively, ranking second in both opponent hitting percentage (.188) and blocks per set (3.00).
ABOUT NO. 10 WASHINGTON (21-6, 11-5 Pac-12)
Last week, the 10th-ranked Huskies became the first team to beat No. 2 Stanford in conference play, taking down the Cardinal in four sets. At 11-5 in Pac-12 play, Washington is a game out of second place and has a lot to play for as the Huskies come to Eugene. The Ducks gave Washington all it could handle on Oct. 11 in Seattle, taking the Huskies to five sets and a 13-13 tie in the fifth before falling in a thriller. UW will also pose issues on the block, as it leads the Pac-12 with 3.10 blocks per set behind Lauren Sander's conference-best 1.48 blocks per set.
DUCKS LEAVE ARIZONA WITH TOUGH SPLIT
Oregon opened its last true road trip of the season last weekend with a straight-set sweep over Arizona State on Friday, 25-17, 25-23, 25-22, but was unable to complete the season sweep of the Arizona schools on Sunday after losing a 2-0 lead in a 24-26, 16-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-13 loss at Arizona. Oregon hit .300 with five players putting down seven or more kills at ASU, and the Ducks out-hit Arizona, .315 to .215, but were unable to hold on to the lead. SR RS Taylor Agost tied for the team lead at ASU with nine kills before leading with 18 on .514 hitting at Arizona, and SO OH Jolie Rasmussen (15 K, 10 DG) and JR OH Lindsey Vander Weide (11 K, 21 DG) each had double-doubles at Arizona.
HOME COOKIN'
While Oregon is under .500 on the road this season (4-5), the Ducks have done a good job of protecting their home court with an 11-2 record inside Matthew Knight Arena. UO is hitting .315 as a team at home while holding opponents to a .168 clip, and eight of the Ducks' 11 home wins have come by way of sweep.
DUCKS AMONG PAC-12 AND NATION'S BEST
The No. 20 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 second in the Pac-12 and 19th in the nation with a .275 team hitting percentage, and third in the conference with 1.29 service aces per set. Defensively, Oregon is fifth in the conference and 37th nationally with 2.51 blocks per set, and fifth in the Pac-12 in opponent hitting percentage (.198).
EFFICIENT STONE ONE OF TOP HITTERS IN PAC-12
SO MB Ronika Stone has been among one of the most efficient hitters in the Pac-12 this season, as she currently ranks third in the conference with a .369 hitting percentage. Stone is also ninth in the conference with 0.32 aces per set, and 10th with 1.16 blocks per set. SR S Maggie Scott is 10th in the conference with 6.12 assists per set while splitting time in Oregon's 6-2 offense.
DUCKS A TOP-25 STAPLE
After slotting in at No. 20 in the latest AVCA coaches poll, the Ducks have been inside the top 25 in 26 striaght polls, dating back to Sept. 12, 2016. UO was inside the top 18 for every poll until this week, and had six straight weeks at either No. 15 or No. 16. Oregon peaked at No. 8 on Sept. 18, the program's first top-10 ranking since November 2014 and highest since being No. 8 in the 2013 preseason poll. On Nov. 1, the NCAA selection committee tabbed Oregon at No. 9 in its early top 10 ranking reveal.
EFFICIENCY KEY FOR OREGON
There has been one constant in all of the Ducks' victories so far in 2017: an advantage in team hitting percentage. Oregon is 16-3 this season when leading in hitting percentage, but 0-5 when its opponent finishes with a more efficient night on the attack. The Ducks are 9-1 when hitting .300 or better this year, and 14-0 when holding their opponent under the .200 mark compared to 2-8 when their opponent hits better than .200. Oregon is also 13-4 when winning on the block this year, 12-3 when leading in kills and 12-1 when winning the first two sets.
UP NEXT
After hosting the Washington schools, Oregon will welcome USC to MKA next Wednesday ( 2 p.m.) before finishing the regular season at Oregon State next Friday (7 p.m.) in Corvallis.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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