EUGENE, Ore.
? Just when the Pac-10 was counting Oregon
out, the 20th-ranked Ducks torpedoed back into the mix with a 3-1
(30-21, 30-26, 28-30, 30-28) victory over sixth-ranked USC on Thursday night at
Mac Court.
It was Oregon's
first win over a top-10 opponent this season, and the second time the Ducks
have accomplished the task in the last two years, after knocking off No. 8 Cal in
four games on Oct. 19, 2006.
Oregon ended
the team's current three-match skid, and terminated what was a 34-match losing
streak to the Trojans, who hold a 40-7 series advantage over the Ducks.
The Trojans had their three-match winning streak snapped,
after recording wins over Cal, Stanford and UCLA.
Oregon
improves to 17-9 overall, matching the program's win total from 2006. The Ducks
are now 6-8 in the Pac-10, as USC drops to 20-4 overall and 9-4 in conference.
The Ducks were led by their offensive trio of Gorana
Maricic, Sonja Newcombe and Heather Meyers, but it was the defense of junior
Kate Swoboda that set the tone for the evening.
Oregon's
starting libero had 14 digs under her belt by the time the Ducks wrapped up
game one, before finishing the night with a match-high 28. The Portland
native began the week just 56 digs shy of breaking Teri Kramer's all-time
career record of 1481, and now needs just another 28 to own the title.
The Ducks, who hit a season-low .132 against USC on Oct. 12,
hit .326 (78-21-175) on Thursday night, led by Maricic and sophomore Neticia Enesi, who each
posted percentages over .400.
Maricic had a match-high 29 kills (.436), and recorded the
ninth double-double of her season with 14 digs. Newcombe's 13 kills and 15 digs
earned the Lake Arrowhead,
Calif., native her seventh
double-double of the year as well.
While struggling with her serve early on and committing four
service errors, Meyers was unshakable at the conclusion of the deciding fourth
game. As Oregon trailed 26-27,
the Ducks ran three consecutive points off the freshman's service.
First the Temecula, Calif,
native, doled out an ace to tie things up, and then provided the assist on
Maricic's go-ahead kill. Meyers then gave Oregon
a two-point cushion with her fourth service ace of the match.
USC climbed back to within one point at 29-28 after a kill
by Asia Kaczor, but Maricic ended the match quickly by drilling a shot to the
middle of the floor.
Kaczor led USC with 25 kills and a .396 attacking
percentage, while Geena Urango added 16 kills. Libero Alli Hillgren had 23 digs
for the Trojans, who hit .263 in the match and totaled 7.0 blocks.
Meyers' 21.0 points and four service aces set new career
highs, while her 15 kills matched her current season high, achieved twice
before in 2007.
Leading Oregon's efficient attack was the combination of Nevena Djordjevic and Rachel Morris. Djordjevic racked up 41 assists, while Morris tied her prvious career high of 23.
Enesi ended her evening hitting .471, with nine kills and
six total blocks.
The Ducks never trailed in games one and two.
This marked the fourth time this season USC has been down
0-2 at the break. The Trojans lost to then No. 2 Stanford and then No. 5 Washington
in sweeps, and staged a three-game comeback to edge UC Irvine in five games on
Oct. 2.
Oregon will
play its fourth consecutive top-10 opponent tomorrow night, hosting
ninth-ranked UCLA at 7 p.m.
QUICK QUACKS: Oregon
is now 2-5 in four-game matches, 1-7 against top-10 opponents and 2-7 against
opponents ranked in the top-25 this year...on Sept. 30, 1989, Oregon knocked off
sixth-ranked Stanford (3-15, 15-9, 9-15, 15-3, 15-8)...this was the third time
this season Gorana Maricic totaled at least 30.0 points...this was the third time
this season Nevena Djordjevic totaled at least 40 assists...Oregon's 78 kills
tied the team's season high, set earlier this year at Arizona State (Sept. 27)...the
team's 71 assists also matched the team's season high, set at UCLA (Oct. 11).
