Ducks Appreciating Elite Eight Opportunity

LOUISVILLE — A day before facing Nebraska in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, the Oregon volleyball team had a film session at the team's hotel.

UO assistant coach Erika Dillard had a message for the Ducks before they headed to the meeting room — bring a pen. Before breaking down film of the Cornhuskers, the UO women would each fill out a few thank-you cards for athletic department staff who had helped the program host the first two rounds of the tournament in Matthew Knight Arena the previous weekend.

That bit of gratitude consumed a few minutes, and then the Ducks got down to business scouting Nebraska. As the team's tournament run continues, the program continues to balance that mix: appreciating their postseason experience, while also putting in the preparation to keep it going as long as possible.

"We've proven it now, but we're one of the top eight teams in the country," senior outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller said Friday, following a brief practice session at the KFC Yum! Center. "I truthfully think anyone can win at this point — and we're definitely one of those teams."

The Ducks trailed by a set twice before completing an epic comeback to beat the Cornhuskers in five sets Thursday. Following that match, host Louisville swept Baylor, setting up a matchup in the Elite Eight between the third-seeded Ducks and top-seeded Cardinals for the regional title Saturday (1 p.m. PT, ESPNU).

The last time Oregon reached the Elite Eight was in 2018. That Sweet Sixteen round featured a similar script, with a marathon win over Minnesota that included an epic set Oregon won by a score of 41-39. But the aftermath is different this time around — instead of playing the Elite Eight the next day, as the Ducks did in 2018 when they lost to Nebraska the following day, the NCAA now provides a day between rounds for the second weekend of the tournament.

"Having this day to totally recover, get our minds right, is a really big deal," said Nuneviller, a freshman libero on that 2018 team. "I think everyone on our team woke up (Friday) feeling pretty tired, and that's pretty typical after a long, five-set match — even if it was at 11 a.m. Having this day is awesome for us."

That's particularly true given that, as Nuneviller pointed out, Oregon endured a marathon Thursday while Louisville comfortably swept Baylor. But along with physical recovery, having a day off allowed the Ducks to spend Thursday night not cramming for another match the next day, but celebrating their Sweet Sixteen success.

Players had dinner with family members who made the trip to Kentucky this week. As the team bus returned to the hotel after dinner, it stopped at a local ice cream parlor.

Winning Thursday earned the Ducks more time together, and the new format for regionals allowed them to enjoy it.

"You're never guaranteed that next match," senior middle blocker Karson Bacon said. "So then you don't get another serve-and-pass with your teammates — some of your best friends — or to have a team meal together. It's holding onto those extra little things that you're like, I just want one more, and then seeing how long we can keep pushing that out for. So, really grateful we get this opportunity to go out and play together."

Bacon was taking a redshirt year in 2018. So while she had experienced the stress of a Sweet Sixteen matchup before, it was a whole new experience contributing to Thursday's win over Nebraska.

She knew the emotional toll such a match takes. Now she had the physical toll to account for as well with the Elite Eight up next.

"That recovery, that bounce back is nearly impossible," Bacon said. "So being able to have this (day off) now is really nice, and I'm grateful for it."

Both Nuneviller and Bacon have had collegiate careers unlike any that UO volleyball alumnae before them experienced. Following their second year in the program, in the fall of 2019, the world changed profoundly with the onset of the COVID pandemic.

That makes their appreciation of this tournament run to cap their careers even deeper.

"You never know when your time is going to end — and we're hoping that it's not soon," Nuneviller said. "I think we've had every sort of experience, from before COVID, during COVID, post-COVID and now, finally feeling like we're getting out of the pandemic era. But yeah, this is as special as it could be."

During a press conference Friday, Bacon recalled a moment from Thursday's epic, 32-30 fourth set over Nebraska, when the Ducks fought off match point four times. Bacon made eye contact with Nuneviller, and saw the fight in her eyes — "what some might call a crazed look," Bacon said at the press conference, drawing laughter from her coach and teammate.

"Brooke is not done playing volleyball today," Bacon recalled thinking at the time. "So it's like, OK, we're in this. Let's keep going."

The challenge Saturday against Louisville will be significant. But the Ducks are appreciative of the opportunity to take it on. And they'd like to keep going, together, for as long as possible.

University of Oregon Athletics

Players Mentioned

Karson Bacon

Brooke Nuneviller

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