University of Oregon
Villanova
Volleyball Sweeps Villanova At Colorado Invitational
09/13/03 | Women's Volleyball
BOULDER, Colo. ? Oregon freshman Sarah Mason had 14.5 points to lead the Ducks to a 30-27, 30-23, 30-23 sweep of Villanova at the Colorado Invitational in Boulder. It was Oregon's first sweep of the season and the first time the Ducks' have won in three games since Sept. 14, 2002. The win snapped a four match losing streak for the Ducks and improved their record to 3-5 overall heading into conference play next week.
"We changed our offense to a 5-1 for this match and we did a great job in that system," Oregon head coach Carl Ferreira said. "We left Kelly Russell in for all rotations and it created a lot of rhythm for us. Also, Jodi Bell set well, took great command of the team and was a leader tonight."
Both Bell and Mason were named to the all-tournament team after finishing 1-1 in the two-day event.
"There was a lot of chemistry and a lot of rhythm for us tonight," Bell said. "Everybody decided to come out and be more competitive and we really came together."
Russell added 13 points on nine kills and eight blocks, which ties her career-best in blocks. Junior Lauren Westendorf had 10 kills, one service ace, four digs and four blocks to continue to be a consistent factor for the Ducks this season.
The first game was tied four times before Oregon rallied at the end to secure the win. In the second game, Oregon carried the momentum, taking an early 14-8 lead and never trailing. Later, the Ducks took leads of 20-12 and 27-19 to keep Villanova at bay.
Oregon dominated again in the final game, leading 3-0, 7-1 and 21-9 before securing the victory at 30-23. The Ducks held Villanova to a .098 hitting percentage while hitting .250 as a team.
The Ducks return home next week to host California Thursday at 7 p.m. in their conference and home opener.
