MANHATTAN, Kan.
? For the first time in 23 years, the University
of Oregon volleyball team advanced
out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Like the Ducks had done 17 previous times this season, Oregon
obtained the victory by way of a three-game sweep (31-29, 30-20, 31-29) knocking
off Missouri State
at Ahearn Field House on Thursday night.
"We were very nervous to start the match but I was very
pleased with how we responded in tight situations in games one and three and
obviously pleased about playing tomorrow," head coach Jim Moore said. "Our expectations are very high here and it was difficult to
play against a team you don't know very much about."
Oregon will
return to action tomorrow night at 5 p.m. PST
to play the No. 9 seed and host Kansas
State. The Wildcats also won in a sweep (30-24, 30-20, 30-23), defeating Conference USA Tournament champions Tulsa in Friday's second match.
Oregon is now
21-10 heading into the second round, while Missouri
State ends its season 25-8.
Pac-10 all-conference selection Gorana Maricic led the Ducks
with her 12th double-double of the season, 24 kills and 14 digs.
Sophomore Sonja Newcombe added 13 kills.
"We have a little more confidence heading into the tournament
this year. We have a good young group this season. There are enough leaders on
this team who have been here before to give us a good balance and makeup."
On defense junior Katie Swoboda had a match-high 15 digs,
and sophomore Neticia Enesi led Oregon
with six total blocks.
Setter Nevena Djordjevic finished the match with 20 assists,
while adding two crucial kills during Oregon's
last five points of game three.
Oregon hit
.277 and held the Bears to .167. It was the 15th time this season
the Ducks have held an opponent under .200.
Game one involved 10 ties and six lead changes, but Oregon
eventually pulled away and for the 31-29 win. The Ducks were ahead 29-27, but
allowed the Bears to tie things with a kill from Sara Staubach and a block on
the combined effort of Sara Thomas and Bethany Fuller.
Newcombe blasted two consecutive kills for Oregon
to end it. Maricic led Oregon
with 10 kills in the game.
The Bears again were hanging around with the Ducks in game
two with score even at 18, but Oregon
began to get its offense in synch and ended things on a 12-2 run. Maricic, Kristen
Forristall and Newcombe each had two kills apiece during that stretch, while
two Missouri State
attack errors ended the game. Also during that run, Oregon
scored five points on the run of Maricic's serve.
By the end of game two Maricic had 17 kills for Oregon
and Newcombe had 10.
QUICK QUACKS: Oregon's
last win in the NCAA Tournament came on Dec.1, 1984 in a five-game match with Hawai'i...this was head coach Jim Moore's first postseason victory with Oregon and the 21st of his career.
