University of Oregon
California
Believe It, Ducks Stun No. 8 Cal
10/19/06 | Women's Volleyball
BERKELEY, Calif. ? The Oregon Ducks are no longer prey for opponents in the top volleyball conference in the NCAA.
Oregon clinched its first winning season since 1990 and won its fourth consecutive Pac-10 match by stunning No. 8 California in four sets on Thursday night at Haas Pavilion.
The Ducks (15-3, 5-3) won by scores of 30-28, 13-30, 35-33 and 30-25, taking down Cal (14-5, 3-5) for the first time in 15 tries dating to 1998.
“You can't describe the character these kids showed in winning this match,” said second-year head coach Jim Moore. “Cal destroyed us in Game 2 and we stepped up to the challenge.”
The Golden Bears finished the match with more points and kills, fewer errors and a higher attack percentage, but those totals were skewed by the lopsided second stanza. The Ducks actually out-hit Cal in all three games that they won.
And Oregon spread it around, getting 10 or more kills from five different players. Freshman hitter Neticia Enesi led the way with 13 kills, while sophomore Mira Djuric posted 12 kills and hit .375.
Freshman blocker Sonja Newcombe had a double-double with 12 kills and 16 digs. She led UO with 15.0 total points.
Seniors Kristen Bitter and Erin Little had 10 kills apiece.
“This is huge,” Moore said. “This win changes everything.”
By securing a winning record with 10 matches left to play, Oregon is eligible for the NCAA tournament for the first time in 16 seasons. The Ducks last postseason appearance came in 1989.
The Bears, who hit a blistering .536 in Game 2, were led by junior outside hitter Angie Pressey, who had match-highs of 17 kills and 20.0 points.
Oregon had three players crack double digits in digs, led by sophomore Katie Swoboda's 25. Little added 10 digs to her kill total for a double-double.
The Ducks complete their Bay Area swing on Friday against No. 3 Stanford.
QUACK TRACKS: Prior to Thursday's heroics at Cal, Oregon's last win against an opponent ranked in the top 10 came at No. 6 Stanford on Sept. 30, 1989 ... UO's four-match Pac-10 streak is the team's longest since 1989 ... Newcombe led the Ducks in points for a third consecutive match.
