
Photo by: Aimee Sinacola/GoDucks.com
First Sweep in Seattle Since 2016
10/29/23 | Women's Volleyball
No. 9 Oregon (19-4, 9-3) hit a season-high .442 in Sunday's win at Washington.
SEATTLE, Wash. — The ninth-ranked Oregon volleyball team capped its weekend with a road sweep at Washington (25-20, 25-22, 25-15) in front of a national television audience on ESPN. The Ducks tallied a season-high .442 hitting percentage on their way to improving to 19-4 overall with a 9-3 mark in Pac-12 play.
Â
Sunday's result gave the program its first win in Seattle since 2018, and paired with Friday's victory at Washington State, the Ducks secured its first sweep of the UW/WSU road weekend since 2016.
Â
Seniors Morgan Lewis and Gabby Gonzales led all players with 15 and 11 kills, respectively. Lewis did not commit an attack error in 23 swings, good for a .652 hitting percentage while Gonzales hit .474 (11-2-19) against the Huskies. It was her fourth match of the year with 10 or more kills while hitting .400 or higher.
Â
Gonzales and libero Georgia Murphy each had nine digs Sunday and fellow senior Kara McGhee led the defensive charge at the net with a match-high six blocks. Collectively, the Ducks limited Washington to a .149 hitting percentage and have now held their opponents to a .200 or lower figure in nine of 12 league matches.
Â
How It Happened: The Ducks took an early 12-7 lead after three-consecutive Washington errors, forcing a timeout by the home team. Oregon pushed its lead to six but the Huskies answered with a 7-1 run to pull to within one—UO leading 16-15—and head coach Matt Ulmer called his first timeout of the match.
Â
Leading 18-17, the Ducks used a quick surge to establish a 21-18 advantage after a Lewis kill, and went on to clinch the opener with a kill out of the middle by Colby Neal.
Â
Lewis had six of her 15 kills in the opening frame and McGhee was 4-for-4 for the Ducks in set one.
Â
Washington (13-10, 4-8) won the first three points of the second and led 8-4 after a kill by Madi Ensley who led the Huskies with eight kills Sunday. Oregon chipped away to tie the set at 11-all but the home team took four of the next five points heading into the media timeout.
Â
The Ducks trailed by as many as four—UW leading 17-13—but pulled even at 19-all with back-to-back kills by McGhee. The teams traded the next four points but Colyer gave Oregon its first lead of the set with a kill for 22-21. After the Huskies tied the score with the next point, the Ducks ended the second with a 3-0 run featuring consecutive kills by Lewis.
Â
McGhee ended the afternoon with eight kills and a .583 hitting percentage.
Â
Eyeing the sweep, Oregon sprinted out to a 7-2 lead in the third. McGhee was involved in three blocks—two solo, one assist—during a four-point stretch early in the set. Washington got as close as two points but the Ducks never trailed in the set. Up 13-11, Oregon rattled off seven of the next eight points for a 20-12 advantage. Gonzales had two kills and an ace during the run of points.
Â
Neal and Hannah Pukis teamed up for a block on the team's first match point to clinch the win and the Ducks' first sweep in Seattle since 2016.
Â
Notable: Fourth match of the season with a .400 or higher team hitting percentage; held opponents to .178 or lower in those four matches…conference season-low nine attack errors…third match of the year with single-digit attack errors; had seven against San Diego (Aug. 25), eight against Northwestern (Aug. 26)…overcame a season-high 18 service errors…second-consecutive Sunday playing on ESPN…moved to No. 6—up for seventh—in the second NCAA Committee top-10 reveal.
Â
Up Next: The Ducks begin the final month of the regular season with a home weekend beginning Friday, Nov. 3, against Utah. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon will then host Colorado in next Sunday's weekend finale.
Â
For more news and information about Oregon Volleyball, follow @OregonVB on Instagram and Twitter, and @OregonVolleyball on Facebook.
Â
Sunday's result gave the program its first win in Seattle since 2018, and paired with Friday's victory at Washington State, the Ducks secured its first sweep of the UW/WSU road weekend since 2016.
Â
Seniors Morgan Lewis and Gabby Gonzales led all players with 15 and 11 kills, respectively. Lewis did not commit an attack error in 23 swings, good for a .652 hitting percentage while Gonzales hit .474 (11-2-19) against the Huskies. It was her fourth match of the year with 10 or more kills while hitting .400 or higher.
Â
Gonzales and libero Georgia Murphy each had nine digs Sunday and fellow senior Kara McGhee led the defensive charge at the net with a match-high six blocks. Collectively, the Ducks limited Washington to a .149 hitting percentage and have now held their opponents to a .200 or lower figure in nine of 12 league matches.
Â
How It Happened: The Ducks took an early 12-7 lead after three-consecutive Washington errors, forcing a timeout by the home team. Oregon pushed its lead to six but the Huskies answered with a 7-1 run to pull to within one—UO leading 16-15—and head coach Matt Ulmer called his first timeout of the match.
Â
Leading 18-17, the Ducks used a quick surge to establish a 21-18 advantage after a Lewis kill, and went on to clinch the opener with a kill out of the middle by Colby Neal.
Â
Lewis had six of her 15 kills in the opening frame and McGhee was 4-for-4 for the Ducks in set one.
Â
Washington (13-10, 4-8) won the first three points of the second and led 8-4 after a kill by Madi Ensley who led the Huskies with eight kills Sunday. Oregon chipped away to tie the set at 11-all but the home team took four of the next five points heading into the media timeout.
Â
The Ducks trailed by as many as four—UW leading 17-13—but pulled even at 19-all with back-to-back kills by McGhee. The teams traded the next four points but Colyer gave Oregon its first lead of the set with a kill for 22-21. After the Huskies tied the score with the next point, the Ducks ended the second with a 3-0 run featuring consecutive kills by Lewis.
Â
McGhee ended the afternoon with eight kills and a .583 hitting percentage.
Â
Eyeing the sweep, Oregon sprinted out to a 7-2 lead in the third. McGhee was involved in three blocks—two solo, one assist—during a four-point stretch early in the set. Washington got as close as two points but the Ducks never trailed in the set. Up 13-11, Oregon rattled off seven of the next eight points for a 20-12 advantage. Gonzales had two kills and an ace during the run of points.
Â
Neal and Hannah Pukis teamed up for a block on the team's first match point to clinch the win and the Ducks' first sweep in Seattle since 2016.
Â
Notable: Fourth match of the season with a .400 or higher team hitting percentage; held opponents to .178 or lower in those four matches…conference season-low nine attack errors…third match of the year with single-digit attack errors; had seven against San Diego (Aug. 25), eight against Northwestern (Aug. 26)…overcame a season-high 18 service errors…second-consecutive Sunday playing on ESPN…moved to No. 6—up for seventh—in the second NCAA Committee top-10 reveal.
Â
Up Next: The Ducks begin the final month of the regular season with a home weekend beginning Friday, Nov. 3, against Utah. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon will then host Colorado in next Sunday's weekend finale.
Â
For more news and information about Oregon Volleyball, follow @OregonVB on Instagram and Twitter, and @OregonVolleyball on Facebook.
Team Stats
Oregon
UW
Kills
47
27
Errors
9
14
Attempts
86
87
Hitting %
.442
.149
Points
58.0
32.0
Assists
45
25
Aces
3
3
Blocks
8
2
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Trent Kersten | Postgame vs. Michigan
Sunday, November 23
Trent Kersten | Postgame vs. USC
Thursday, November 20
Trent Kersten | Postgame vs. Michigan State
Monday, November 10
Trent Kersten & Alanah Clemente | Postgame vs. UCLA
Friday, November 07











