Notebook: Ducks Comfortable in Underdog Role Away From Home

MINNEAPOLIS — A bus carrying the Oregon volleyball team rolled away from the UO athletics facilities just before 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and a little under nine hours later, the Ducks were in The Land of 10,000 Lakes.

An NCAA Regional match against No. 2 Minnesota awaits Oregon on Friday, beginning at 1:30 p.m. PT and streamed on ESPN3. The Ducks are taking on a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country earlier this year, one out for revenge after the Ducks upset the Golden Gophers in September, and one that's lost just twice since.

And the UO volleyball team will confront all that on Minnesota's home court, in Maturi Pavilion.

"It'll be a sellout crowd, and they'll have a lot of energy," Oregon coach Matt Ulmer said. "So all of those things work in their favor."

Funny thing about Ulmer's team, though — the Ducks don't seem daunted by playing on the road.

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In Pac-12 play this season, Oregon went 5-5 at home but 8-2 on the road. The Ducks actually expressed more concern with how they'd handle the pressure of playing at home, in last week's opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Matthew Knight Arena, than they did prior to leaving for the Midwest.

"We actually like hostile environments," Ulmer said. "We like when people are talking to us. We like proving people wrong. That's just the m.o. of this group. …

"This group likes being the underdog — which I can't stand. That's just who we are."

Eventually, Ulmer wants his team comfortable playing the favorite's role, eager to knock off contenders to the throne. For now, he'll ride the mojo of Oregon's success on the road this season.

Why the Ducks play so much better on the road remains hard to quantify.

"Honestly, I'm still trying to figure it out," senior setter August Raskie said. "But for me it's, no fear. We have a big crowd when we come home all the time, so there's that pressure as well. But when you go on the road, pressure's on them. They have expectations, and we're just here to play good volleyball."

Junior Willow Johnson said playing at home might lead to some complacency that isn't an option outside of Eugene.

"We have better energy because we're not trying to have energy from our own fans," Johnson said. "We have to bring our own."

Speaking of bringing their own energy, that's a responsibility Johnson takes to heart.

She and fellow junior Ronika Stone keep each other accountable for maintaining positive energy on the court. If either notices the other lagging, they said, they employ a "focus word" — the title of the Drake song "Nonstop."

"So if either of us notice that we're not bringing the same energy, or we've made a couple mistakes and we're getting down on ourselves, not talking to the team as much, we just look at each other and say, 'Nonstop,' " Johnson said. "Try to focus up and get back in the game."

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Along with her energy, Johnson also doesn't want to let her serving skills lag this weekend. After not playing in the back row most of this season, Johnson was employed on the serve in the final weekend of the regular season, and again last week. In wins over New Mexico State and Baylor, Johnson had seven aces — after entering this postseason with a single-match career high of one.

"I just hope the honeymoon period isn't over for awhile," Ulmer said.

Oregon's ability to focus entirely on Friday's match with no distractions was tested by the logistics of this year's NCAA Tournament bracket.

Not only is Minnesota hosting the regional in which the Ducks advanced, but the Twin Cities are hosting this year's Final Four next week. With the University of Oregon's winter break beginning after final exams this week, Oregon won't bother returning to Eugene should the Ducks win both Friday and Saturday to reach the Final Four.

Thus, the UO women had to plan accordingly before leaving home.

"We're packing for the long haul," Ulmer said Monday prior to the team's departure. "Bringing our winter coats."

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Players expressed confidence they'll be able to block everything else out when it's time to take the court Friday.

"It's tricky, because you want to take every match one at a time and not get ahead of yourself, not overlook or under-prepare for what's coming next," Raskie said. "It's a delicate balance that, I think we have a good coach that has shown us how to balance it."

Ulmer indicated Monday he might stick with the rotation he employed Saturday against Baylor, in particular playing junior Taylor Borup and sophomore Brooke Van Sickle in tandem.

Each has been a six-rotation player for the Ducks at times this season, but Borup is battling an ankle injury, and playing in the front row can tax the legs of the diminutive but explosive Van Sickle. So Ulmer paired them together against Baylor, with Borup playing up front and Van Sickle taking the back-row rotations.

"It made them one really nice player," Ulmer said. "So I think we'll probably stick with that."

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Ulmer said jumping vertically doesn't bother Borup's ankle as much as moving laterally in the back row. In the front row, Borup can employ her size on the block and her strong arm on the attack.

Van Sickle, meanwhile, "is so speedy, so athletic," Ulmer said, noting her contributions in the back row against Baylor. But Van Sickle's vertical jump allows her to be potent attacking from the back row, too.

"She's still able to be an aggressor back there," Raskie said. "Which, it's really nice to have that option."