Sweet Sixteen At Hand For Volleyball

MADISON, Wisc. — Chilly conditions greeted the Oregon volleyball team in Wisconsin this week, making it ironic that the Ducks suspect a couple of experiences against Hawai'i this season helped prepare them for the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

The UO women swept through the first two rounds of the tournament at home last week, and now will face Purdue in a Sweet Sixteen match hosted by Wisconsin on Thursday (6:30 p.m., ESPNU). Oregon is the No. 2 seed in this quadrant of the tournament while Purdue is the No. 3 seed; the top-seeded Badgers are hosts for the weekend, and will face Penn State earlier Thursday.

How does Hawai'i come into play this week? Well the Ducks played in the islands in late August, sweeping their hosts in front of a tough crowd that could resemble the atmosphere this week in the UW Field House. And last week, Oregon swept Hawai'i again in the second round of the tournament, needing to dig out of an 18-11 hole in the first set after struggling early to score against the Rainbow Wahine's defense.

That defense the Ducks (28-5) faced last week, UO coach Matt Ulmer said, hopefully provided a hint of the challenge they'll face Thursday. Because Purdue (23-8) led the Big Ten in digs per set this year with 14.71, and tied for third with 2.55 blocks per set.

"I know we're excited for that challenge of how we're going to score," Ulmer said.

The UO women practiced in the UW Field House on Wednesday evening. As they did, workers for the TV broadcast were buzzing around the gym, getting equipment in place for Thursday's matches. Signage around the gym made clear, as it did last week in Matthew Knight Arena, that this was NCAA Tournament time.

"I try to approach each game the same; I think that's what helps me be consistent," UO senior Kara McGhee said. "But going into the tournament, each round it gets more and more exciting. So I'm very excited, but still having that same mindset I do every single game."

Experience has reinforced the importance of that consistent mindset for McGhee, a graduate transfer from Baylor. She's one of three seniors in the regular rotation who joined the Ducks as transfers, and one of two along with Gabby Gonzales who doesn't bare the scars of last season's heartbreaking loss to Louisville in the Elite Eight.

The seniors who have been at Oregon since the start of their careers also know well the challenge of Purdue's defensive intensity, after losing a tournament match to the Boilermakers in the 2021 spring season. Through the highs and lows, the Ducks have banked a wealth of postseason experience they hope will pay off this weekend.

"The one neat thing about having so much experience on the court is that we've all been here before," said senior setter Hannah Pukis, who is in her second season at Oregon. "Some of us have been to the Final Four; some of us have been to the Elite Eight. So, nothing's new for most of us, which is a really neat experience to have."

And experience from this season could pay off as well, and not just from last week's opening weekend of the tournament. In August and September, the Ducks challenged themselves with a tough nonconference schedule that took them not only to Hawai'i but also Pittsburgh and Marquette.

If one and potentially two matches this week against Big Ten teams on a Big Ten campus is daunting, the Ducks at least may have an idea of the atmosphere they'll face.

"I think this group likes it," Ulmer said. "They like a rowdy crowd, they like people talking at them. It brings out the best in them."