Friday, October 18
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
vs
UCLA
Photo by: Samuel Marshall
Ducks Return Home to Host UCLA, USC This Weekend
10/15/19 | Women's Volleyball
EUGENE, Ore. - The Oregon volleyball team returns to Matthew Knight Arena this weekend as the Ducks host UCLA on Friday (6 p.m.) and USC on Sunday (12 p.m.).
The Ducks (5-10, 1-5 Pac-12) are looking to snap a four-match losing streak after taking a pair of tough losses last weekend, including a heartbreaking five-set loss at No. 11 Washington on Sunday in Seattle.
How to Follow
Both matches this weekend will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks with a live radio call available on KWVA 88.1 FM. Live stats can be found at Oregon.Statbroadcast.com, and live updates will be provided on Twitter at @OregonVB.
About UCLA (9-6, 4-2 Pac-12)
UCLA is off to a 4-2 start in Pac-12 play with wins over USC, ASU, WSU and Colorado, and the Bruins rank third in the conference in both kills per set (13.5) and assists per set (12.7). OH Mac May is second in the Pac-12 with 4.63 k/s while leading the league with 0.38 sa/s, and Savvy Simo is averaging 3.23 k/son .278 hitting to go with 3.06 d/s. Oregon swept the season series over UCLA in 2018, including a 3-1 win at home.
About USC (9-7, 3-3 Pac-12)
USC is 3-3 so far in Pac-12 play, with all three losses coming in five sets. OH Khalia Lanier is fifth in the Pac-12 with 4.29 k/s on .270 hitting, and Brooke Botkin (2.90 k/s) provides another big presence on the outside. 2018 Pac-12 freshman of the year Raquel Lazaro (10.70 a/s) directs the offense, and Jasmine Gross's 1.45 b/s rank second in the league. Oregon split with USC in 2018, sweeping the Trojans in L.A. but getting swept at home.
Rigorous Schedule Continues
A difficult schedule continues this weekend for the Ducks, who have played eight of their 15 matches so far against teams ranked in the AVCA top 25, and four against top-10 opponents. Both UCLA and USC are receiving votes in the latest AVCA coaches poll, along with the Ducks.
Nuneviller Doing it All in New Role
SO OH Brooke Nuneviller was one of the nation's top liberos as a freshman in 2018, but the Chandler, Ariz., native has moved to outside hitter as a sophomore and is thriving in her new role. Nuneviller leads Oregon with 10 double-doubles and is the only player in the Pac-12 to rank in the top 10 in the league in both kills per set (10th, 3.27) and digs per set (10th, 3.31), and she also leads Oregon with 16 service aces. The sophomore has 15 or more kills in eight of her last 10 matches, and she racked up a season-high 23 digs last Friday in Pullman. Nuneviller took over and willed the Ducks to a five-set comeback road win over Princeton on Sept. 17 with a career-high 19 kills on .389 hitting, including an astounding 13 in the final two sets.
Stone Joins 1,000 Kill Club, Closing in on All-Time Block Assists Record
SR MB Ronika Stone has a chance to etch her name at the top of multiple UO all-time lists before her career ends, and the 2018 second-team all-American reached an impressive milestone earlier this season on the East Coast. Stone surpassed the 1,000 career kills mark on Sept. 10 with a match-high 17 on .615 hitting against Hofstra, and she enters this weekend's matches with 1,072 kills on only 2,215 career attacks. Stone's current .353 career hitting percentage wouuld shatter Sue Harbour's program record of .333, and the San Jose, Calif., native also ranks eighth in Oregon history with 1,381.5 career points scored. Stone is currently second all-time at UO with 373 career block assists, just 16 behind all-time leader Neticia Enesi (389, 2006-10), and she is also seventh with 423 total blocks, sitting 119 behind Harbour's program record of 542. So far in 2019, Stone is leads the Ducks with 3.77 points per set and her .335 hitting percentage ranks eighth in the Pac-12.
Ducks Unable to Finish Upset in Seattle
Coming off a four-set loss at No. 24 Washington State, the Ducks got off to a great start on Sunday in Seattle against No. 11 Washington, winning the first two sets to take a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, the Huskies came roaring back to win sets three and four and send the match to a fifth, where Oregon got off to a slow start and wasn't able to climb all the way back in a 15-11 loss. SO OH Brooke Nuneviller led the Ducks with 16 kills and four aces, and FR L Georgia Murphy shined defensively with a season-high 22 digs.
Murphy Thriving at Libero as True Freshman
With Nuneviller now playing on the outside, FR L Georgia Murphy moved immediately into the starting libero role and hasn't looked back. Murphy is second to Nuneviller with 3.19 d/s and has recorded 13 or more digs nine different times, including a season-high 22 on Sunday in Seattle. Murphy has also been a threat at the service line with 10 aces so far, including a season-high five on Sept. 20 against Duke.
Hansen Brings the Energy in Season Debut
RFR MB Abby Hansen made her Oregon and collegiate debut on Sunday against No. 11 Washington in Seattle and put together some really nice moments right off the bat. Hansen finished with two kills and four blocks, including two solo rejections, and she also brought great energy for the Ducks. Hansen's return from injury gives HC Matt Ulmer some lineup options; on Sunday, Hansen played in the middle with RFR MB Karson Bacon while SR MB Ronika Stone moved to right-side hitter as Oregon moved to a 6-2 system.
Ferreira Impresses in Extended Action
FR S Elise Ferreira got her first extended action of the season on Sunday at No. 11 Washington as Oregon moved to a 6-2 system, and the freshman impressed in multiple areas. Ferreira led Oregon with a season-high 25 assists while just missing a double-double with eight digs, and she was a force to be reckoned with at the service line with a season-high four aces.
Johnson Returns in Time for Pac-12 Play
SR RS Willow Johnson returned to the starting lineup on Sept. 26 for the first time since going down with an injury at No. 6 Pittsburgh on Sept. 11, and the left-hander made her presence felt immediately in UO's first two Pac-12 matches. Johnson tied her career-high with 18 kills and added a career-high 14 digs and three aces at OSU, and the senior followed that up with 17 kills, 13 digs and a career-high five service aces in Oregon's win over Utah. The return of Johnson, who is hitting .275 this season with 3.02 k/s, 2.00 d/s and 14 aces, is huge for a very young Oregon squad that had to rely on multiple true freshmen to fill the void during Johnson's absence.
Oregon Receiving Votes in AVCA Poll
The Ducks are receiving votes for the second week in a row in the AVCA coaches poll after falling out of the top 25 on Oct. 7 for the first time in 23 polls. UO ended 2018 at No. 9 after its thrilling run to the NCAA Elite Eight and opened 2019 at No. 11 before moving to No. 9 in week one, No. 10 in week two, No. 14 in week three, No. 24 in week four and No. 25 in week five. Oregon has been ranked in the AVCA top 25 for 50 of the last 53 polls.
Up Next
Oregon will go back on the road next weekend to face Arizona State and Arizona.
The Ducks (5-10, 1-5 Pac-12) are looking to snap a four-match losing streak after taking a pair of tough losses last weekend, including a heartbreaking five-set loss at No. 11 Washington on Sunday in Seattle.
How to Follow
Both matches this weekend will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks with a live radio call available on KWVA 88.1 FM. Live stats can be found at Oregon.Statbroadcast.com, and live updates will be provided on Twitter at @OregonVB.
About UCLA (9-6, 4-2 Pac-12)
UCLA is off to a 4-2 start in Pac-12 play with wins over USC, ASU, WSU and Colorado, and the Bruins rank third in the conference in both kills per set (13.5) and assists per set (12.7). OH Mac May is second in the Pac-12 with 4.63 k/s while leading the league with 0.38 sa/s, and Savvy Simo is averaging 3.23 k/son .278 hitting to go with 3.06 d/s. Oregon swept the season series over UCLA in 2018, including a 3-1 win at home.
About USC (9-7, 3-3 Pac-12)
USC is 3-3 so far in Pac-12 play, with all three losses coming in five sets. OH Khalia Lanier is fifth in the Pac-12 with 4.29 k/s on .270 hitting, and Brooke Botkin (2.90 k/s) provides another big presence on the outside. 2018 Pac-12 freshman of the year Raquel Lazaro (10.70 a/s) directs the offense, and Jasmine Gross's 1.45 b/s rank second in the league. Oregon split with USC in 2018, sweeping the Trojans in L.A. but getting swept at home.
Rigorous Schedule Continues
A difficult schedule continues this weekend for the Ducks, who have played eight of their 15 matches so far against teams ranked in the AVCA top 25, and four against top-10 opponents. Both UCLA and USC are receiving votes in the latest AVCA coaches poll, along with the Ducks.
Nuneviller Doing it All in New Role
SO OH Brooke Nuneviller was one of the nation's top liberos as a freshman in 2018, but the Chandler, Ariz., native has moved to outside hitter as a sophomore and is thriving in her new role. Nuneviller leads Oregon with 10 double-doubles and is the only player in the Pac-12 to rank in the top 10 in the league in both kills per set (10th, 3.27) and digs per set (10th, 3.31), and she also leads Oregon with 16 service aces. The sophomore has 15 or more kills in eight of her last 10 matches, and she racked up a season-high 23 digs last Friday in Pullman. Nuneviller took over and willed the Ducks to a five-set comeback road win over Princeton on Sept. 17 with a career-high 19 kills on .389 hitting, including an astounding 13 in the final two sets.
Stone Joins 1,000 Kill Club, Closing in on All-Time Block Assists Record
SR MB Ronika Stone has a chance to etch her name at the top of multiple UO all-time lists before her career ends, and the 2018 second-team all-American reached an impressive milestone earlier this season on the East Coast. Stone surpassed the 1,000 career kills mark on Sept. 10 with a match-high 17 on .615 hitting against Hofstra, and she enters this weekend's matches with 1,072 kills on only 2,215 career attacks. Stone's current .353 career hitting percentage wouuld shatter Sue Harbour's program record of .333, and the San Jose, Calif., native also ranks eighth in Oregon history with 1,381.5 career points scored. Stone is currently second all-time at UO with 373 career block assists, just 16 behind all-time leader Neticia Enesi (389, 2006-10), and she is also seventh with 423 total blocks, sitting 119 behind Harbour's program record of 542. So far in 2019, Stone is leads the Ducks with 3.77 points per set and her .335 hitting percentage ranks eighth in the Pac-12.
Ducks Unable to Finish Upset in Seattle
Coming off a four-set loss at No. 24 Washington State, the Ducks got off to a great start on Sunday in Seattle against No. 11 Washington, winning the first two sets to take a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, the Huskies came roaring back to win sets three and four and send the match to a fifth, where Oregon got off to a slow start and wasn't able to climb all the way back in a 15-11 loss. SO OH Brooke Nuneviller led the Ducks with 16 kills and four aces, and FR L Georgia Murphy shined defensively with a season-high 22 digs.
Murphy Thriving at Libero as True Freshman
With Nuneviller now playing on the outside, FR L Georgia Murphy moved immediately into the starting libero role and hasn't looked back. Murphy is second to Nuneviller with 3.19 d/s and has recorded 13 or more digs nine different times, including a season-high 22 on Sunday in Seattle. Murphy has also been a threat at the service line with 10 aces so far, including a season-high five on Sept. 20 against Duke.
Hansen Brings the Energy in Season Debut
RFR MB Abby Hansen made her Oregon and collegiate debut on Sunday against No. 11 Washington in Seattle and put together some really nice moments right off the bat. Hansen finished with two kills and four blocks, including two solo rejections, and she also brought great energy for the Ducks. Hansen's return from injury gives HC Matt Ulmer some lineup options; on Sunday, Hansen played in the middle with RFR MB Karson Bacon while SR MB Ronika Stone moved to right-side hitter as Oregon moved to a 6-2 system.
Ferreira Impresses in Extended Action
FR S Elise Ferreira got her first extended action of the season on Sunday at No. 11 Washington as Oregon moved to a 6-2 system, and the freshman impressed in multiple areas. Ferreira led Oregon with a season-high 25 assists while just missing a double-double with eight digs, and she was a force to be reckoned with at the service line with a season-high four aces.
Johnson Returns in Time for Pac-12 Play
SR RS Willow Johnson returned to the starting lineup on Sept. 26 for the first time since going down with an injury at No. 6 Pittsburgh on Sept. 11, and the left-hander made her presence felt immediately in UO's first two Pac-12 matches. Johnson tied her career-high with 18 kills and added a career-high 14 digs and three aces at OSU, and the senior followed that up with 17 kills, 13 digs and a career-high five service aces in Oregon's win over Utah. The return of Johnson, who is hitting .275 this season with 3.02 k/s, 2.00 d/s and 14 aces, is huge for a very young Oregon squad that had to rely on multiple true freshmen to fill the void during Johnson's absence.
Oregon Receiving Votes in AVCA Poll
The Ducks are receiving votes for the second week in a row in the AVCA coaches poll after falling out of the top 25 on Oct. 7 for the first time in 23 polls. UO ended 2018 at No. 9 after its thrilling run to the NCAA Elite Eight and opened 2019 at No. 11 before moving to No. 9 in week one, No. 10 in week two, No. 14 in week three, No. 24 in week four and No. 25 in week five. Oregon has been ranked in the AVCA top 25 for 50 of the last 53 polls.
Up Next
Oregon will go back on the road next weekend to face Arizona State and Arizona.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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