Final Nonconference Road Trip Begins at Pitt

EUGENE, Ore. – The final weekend of non-conference play begins Thursday evening when the seventh-ranked Oregon volleyball team takes on No. 8 Pittsburgh. First serve of the top-10 matchup is set for 4 p.m. (PT) and will be streamed on the ACC Network. The Ducks will also face James Madison as part of the Panther Classic.

Panther Challenge (all times PT)
Thursday, Sept. 14
#7 Oregon at #8 Pittsburgh
Watch | Live Stats

Friday, Sept. 15
#7 Oregon vs James Madison
Live Stats

Oregon will then travel to Milwaukee, Wis., to play Marquette on Sunday. The non-conference finale is set for 11 a.m. (PT) on FS1.

Series History vs Pittsburgh
Thursday will mark just the third meeting in the all-time series between Oregon and Pittsburgh. The teams last met in 2019, also a top-10 matchup on the Panthers' home court. The teams first met in 1978; Pitt won both previous matches.

Series History vs James Madison
Oregon and James Madison have played twice before Friday's neutral-site match. The teams split a pair of matches in 2003 with the Ducks taking a 3-1 win followed by a five-set loss the following week at a JMU home tournament.

Last Time Out
The Ducks responded from their first loss of the season with a four-set victory over then-No. 15 Ohio State. Oregon posted a .327 hitting percentage and, for a second-consecutive outing, had four players reach double figures in kills. The victory was Oregon's second of the seaon over a ranked opponent.

Gabby Reaches 1,000
Grad transfer Gabby Gonzales had 18 kills and a season-high 14 digs against then-No. 10 Minnesota (Sept. 8). With her 10th dig of the match, she reached 1,000 career digs between her time at Oregon and Ohio State. Gonzales is averaging 3.14 kills per set and 2.36 digs per set in the first eight matches of her Oregon career.

Special K
In the Ducks' win over Ohio State (Sept. 9), Kara McGhee registered 11 kills and a season-high eight blocks. She hit .579 in the four setter with no errors in 19 swings. McGhee, the grad transfer from Baylor, had a season-high 12 kills (.429) coupled with four blocks the night before against Minnesota.

She's Got Options
Senior setter Hannah Pukis averaged 12.22 assists per set last weekend during the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge. The Ducks had four players with double-digit kills in back-to-back matches, led by Mimi Colyer with 20 against Minnesota and Gabby Gonzales with 19 kills against Ohio State. Oregon enters the week hitting .323 and is fifth in the NCAA at 14.71 kills per set.

Milestone Watch
With her second block against Ohio State (Sept. 9) during the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, senior Karson Bacon moved to sole possession of eighth place on the UO all-time list. Bacon now has 379 career blocks and enters the weekend tied for ninth in the Pac-12 with 1.19 blocks per set this season.

In the Polls
Oregon checks in at No. 7 in this week's AVCA poll after a split weekend (1-1) at the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge. The Ducks' lone loss this season is a five-set setback to then-No. 10 Minnesota (Sept. 8). Oregon will face three teams mentioned in the most recent rankings with Pittsburgh (#8) and James Madison and Marquette both receiving votes.

Season tickets, starting at just $54, are available through the UO ticket office or by clicking HERE. After life on the road during the non-conference schedule, the Ducks' home opener will double as the Pac-12 opener Friday, Sept. 22, against Oregon State.

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