Vander Weide, Nuneviller Lead Ducks Past Wildcats

Sunday, October 28

Tucson, AZ

11:00 AM

University of Oregon

15-7, 8-4Pac-12

Arizona

17-7, 6-6Pac-12

Oregon

Arizona

Photo by: Scott Bruhn

10/28/18 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box: #16 Oregon 3, #23 Arizona 1

By: Nate Krueger

TUCSON, Ariz. – The No. 16 Oregon volleyball team moved into a tie for second place in the Pac-12 on Sunday afternoon with a 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-17 win over No. 23 Arizona at McKale Memorial Center.

After sweeping Arizona State on Friday, the Ducks completed a 2-0 weekend in the desert and improved to 15-7 overall and 8-4 in Pac-12 play. Senior Lindsey Vander Weide hit .300 with 17 kills to lead an Oregon attack that finished hitting an impressive .304, and freshman Brooke Nuneviller was stellar once again in her home state with a match-high 27 digs and a career-high four aces.

"Brooke was fantastic," said head coach Matt Ulmer. "She was a big-time player today, and really this whole weekend…She was awesome, and I was really proud of Lindsey; I thought Lindsey was a beast today, and we really needed her.

"I'm proud of us. There's a long way to go, but we're trending up, and that's always good at this time of year…I like what we're doing and I like how we're feeling."

How it Happened: The Ducks jumped out to a 9-4 lead, with Ronika Stone scoring back-to-back points to prompt an Arizona timeout, but the Wildcats (17-7, 6-6) responded with a 6-1 run to take a 13-12 lead. Arizona scored three straight to move ahead after Oregon took a 19-17 lead, but the Ducks regrouped with a timeout and scored six of the final eight points to win the set. The Wildcats made it 23-22 with a kill, but Stone and Brooke Van Sickle finished it off with back-to-back points.

Oregon answered an early 7-4 Arizona lead in the second with a 9-4 run to take a two-point advantage, 13-11. The Wildcats later scored four straight to move ahead 18-16, but the Ducks responded again with six out of eight to regain the lead, 22-20. A UO service error brought Arizona to within 23-22 for the second straight set, but Van Sickle earned set-point with a kill and Vander Weide followed with her sixth kill of the set to send Oregon into intermission up 2-0.

It was all Arizona for much of the third set, with the Wildcats racing out to a 20-13 advantage. Vander Weide sparked the Ducks with a kill down 22-15, igniting a 7-2 Oregon run. August Raskie fought off a pair of UA set-points with a pair of kills, but Arizona's Candice Denny ended the comeback bid with a kill and sent the match to a fourth.

Nuneviller had back-to-back aces while serving the Ducks to a 6-0 run early in the fourth, and Oregon kept its foot on the gas while playing to an 18-10 lead. Arizona cut it to 21-16 with consecutive points, but Raskie's seventh kill of the night started a 4-1 Oregon run as the Ducks finished off the match and avoided a fifth straight five-set contest with the Wildcats.

Who Stood Out: Vander Weide added 12 digs to her 17 kills for her eight double-double of the year, and Willow Johnson, another Arizona native, played well with 10 kills on .450 hitting. Stone hit .381 with nine kills, five blocks and three aces, Lauren Page had seven kills on .545 hitting and Raskie was on triple-double watch again with 42 assists and seven digs to go with seven kills. Nuneviller added six assists to her 27 digs and four aces to cap a very well-rounded performance.

What it Means: The Ducks got the job done on the road against both Arizona schools, making up for a disappointing weekend at home against the Sun Devils and Wildcats at the end of September. Oregon is 6-2 since then, and is tied with Washington State for second in the Pac-12 at 8-4. USC could join the Ducks and Cougars in second with a win over Cal on Sunday, with all three teams trailing No. 2 Stanford (11-0).

Quotable: Head Coach Matt Ulmer
On Vander Weide's progression this season…
"I really think she's gaining confidence every day. Friday wasn't her best match – it wasn't anybody's best match – but in conference play I think she's scored really well…I think she's doing a great job, she's getting confident and I think she's only getting better."

Lindsey Vander Weide, Senior, Outside Hitter
On her performance…
"I felt really good. I thought at the end we were clicking; I think at first I didn't really make the adjustments I needed to make, but throughout the game I was able to make those, especially on the block."

Notable: The Ducks are now 7-2 on the road and 5-1 in Pac-12 road matches … Oregon improved to 14-1 when winning the first set, 13-0 when winning the first two sets and 14-1 when leading in attack percentage (.304 - .213) … Oregon is 5-0 when hitting .300 or better … Nuneviller notched her fifth 20-plus dig match of the year and now has double-digit digs in 14 straight contests … Vander Weide's eight double-doubles are second most on the team … Oregon snapped a two-match skid against the Wildcats.

Up Next: The Ducks will be back in Matthew Knight Arena next weekend to host No. 15 USC (Friday, 8 p.m.) and No. 20 UCLA (Sunday, 12 p.m.). Both matches will be broadcast by the Pac-12 Network.