Four-Set Win Gives Ducks Sweep of UCLA

Thursday, November 6

Eugene, OR

7:00 PM

University of Oregon

14-9,5-8Big Ten

UCLA

13-10,7-6Big Ten

UCLA

Oregon

Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com

11/06/25 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

After winning in Los Angeles last month, Oregon volleyball beat the Bruins in Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — The Ducks got back home Thursday, and got back to winning.

Riding the energy of an enthusiastic Matthew Knight Arena crowd, the Oregon volleyball team completed a sweep of UCLA in the regular season this fall with a four-set win. The UO women cut short a losing streak at three matches, winning for the first time since a three-set win over the Bruins on the road Oct. 22.

Freshman Alanah Clemente had a match-high 14 kills, Sophia Meyers added 13 — each had double-digit digs as well — and Valentina Vaulet put down eight kills to give Oregon a 25-9, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22 victory Thursday.

"Offensively we were super, super balanced; I thought that was a great sign for us," UO coach Trent Kersten said. "Three pins around 30 attempts. We'd have loved to get our middles going, but they were in a very neutral read against us and so they were able to help pretty effectively against their middle attack. And so we started going pin to pin. … Good job by (setter) Cora (Taylor) keeping balance tonight."

The Ducks were able to flush some recent losses and refocus on Thursday's task, and they didn't let previous success over the Bruins affect them — UCLA's nine points in the first set were the fewest allowed by Oregon this fall.

"I think in this world it's really hard to stay present, right?" Kersten said. "I think you can worry about things that are going to happen, or you can dwell on things that have happened. And I think that's the challenge for this team over the next three weeks, is to stay present, stay connected and keep believing. This team wasn't supposed to be any good (according to preseason projections), so why not just let it rip at this point?"

How It Happened: The UO women let it rip right from the start Thursday. They jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the opening set, and after UCLA tightened it up at 12-7, Oregon scored seven straight behind the serve of Vaulet. The last point in that run was a block by Clemente and Holley McFadden, one of four UO blocks in the set and 11 in the match.

"Our team did a pretty phenomenal job blocking; the kills that UCLA got tonight, they really earned," Kersten said.

The Ducks hit a match-high .391 in the opening set, and held UCLA to minus-.091 hitting. Oregon's offense wasn't as efficient in the second set, but the Ducks had three more blocks and took advantage of four service errors by the Bruins. The UO women trailed 10-6 but scored the next five points to take the lead, a run that included two Clemente kills and two blocks by the tandem of Taylor and Iva Sucurovic. When it was 12-12, Taylor had a kill and then an ace, and the Ducks led the rest of the set.

Oregon played from behind much of the third set. After leading early, 7-3, the Ducks gave up seven of the next eight points. UCLA built leads of 14-10 and then 19-14, before the UO women rallied. Sucurovic had a kill and an ace as the Ducks pulled within 20-19, and Vaulet had two kills as Oregon scored four straight to lead 23-22. But the Bruins closed out the set by scoring the last three points.

The fourth set saw UCLA score five of the first six points to lead 5-1, then Oregon answer in kind to tie it, 6-6. The Bruins pulled back out into a 13-9 lead and then the Ducks scored six of seven to lead, 15-14. The teams went back and forth from there, and it was tied 21-21 before Oregon closed it out, with Clemente recording a kill to set up match point, then finishing it off with an ace as UCLA was called for being out of rotation.

Clemente finished with five aces and also her second double-double of the season — both against UCLA, against which Oregon now has an eight-match win streak.

"I just feel like I always want to do my best for my team," Clemente said. "So it just comes really easy to me, because I love them. They love me and I love that they put their trust in me. … I just want to go after it for them, because the worst thing that I could do for my team is not go 100 percent."

Up Next: The Ducks host Michigan State on Sunday (1 p.m., B1G+), prior to which Meyers, Taylor and Maya De Los Reyes will be honored in a Senior Day ceremony.