Ducks Clinch Baylor Invitational Title With Win Over Bears

Saturday, September 1

Waco, Texas

5:00 p.m.

University of Oregon

6-0

Baylor

4-3

Oregon Ducks

Baylor

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

Ducks Clinch Baylor Invitational Title With Win Over Bears

09/01/07 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

WACO, Texas ? The Oregon volleyball team clinched its second straight tournament title on Saturday night, defeating Baylor in three games (33-31, 30-23, 30-23) at the Ferrell Center.

The Ducks swept through the Baylor Invitational with victories over Mississippi State, Stephen F. Austin and the Bears, without dropping a single game.

Oregon (6-0) has won 18-straight games over its first six matches of the season, the longest streak since the start of the rally scoring era (2001).

Host Baylor finished the tournament 1-2, and falls to 3-3 on the year. The Bears were the second Big XII team Oregon has defeated this year, after ousting Kansas in three games to win the Kickoff Classic title in Eugene last Saturday.

Junior Gorana Maricic, named to the all-tourney team, bested her previous season best with a match-high 20 kills, a new season high for any Oregon player this season.

As always, junior Katie Swoboda was active defensively with a match-high 20 digs.

Freshman Heather Meyers, who was named tournament MVP, and sophomore Sonja Newcombe, also named to the all-tournament team, added nine kills apiece. It was the setting of sophomore Nevena Djordjevic (20 assists) and freshman Rachel Morris (18 assists) that helped Oregon reach those numbers, to go along with a .235 attacking percentage.

Junior Kristen Forristall led Oregon with four blocks, and Newcombe was also active at the net with three blocks.

It looked as if Baylor was going to take the match to a fourth game, after amassing a 17-13 lead in game No. 3, but once again the Ducks responded with kills from Newcombe, Meyers, Maricic and Djordjevic. Oregon was able to retake the lead, 21-20, with a block from Maricic and sophomore Neticia Enesi. The Dalles, Ore., native then came through with a timely kill to give Oregon a 25-22 lead.

After playing a fairly even contest in game two, Oregon was finally able to pull away from the Bears, piecing together a seven-point advantage (18-11) after four kills from Maricic and one from Djordjevic.

The first game was a close contest, as Oregon came back from thee separate three-point deficits, and a four-point deficit late in the game. After trailing 27-23, the Ducks tied the game at 29-29 courtesy of a kill from Maricic. The teams exchanged one opportunity for game point apiece, before Meyers finally solidified the win with her second service ace of the game. Maricic led the team with nine kills in the game, while Swoboda added seven digs and Forristall added two blocks.

TOURNAMENT STATISTICS

Team: Hit .296 with 19 service aces and 3.06 blocks per game

Tournament MVP

Heather Meyers: 3.33 kills per game, .520 hitting percentage, 15 assists, 8 service aces, 0.78 blocks per game

All-Tournament team:

Sonja Newcombe: 3.78 kills per game, .193 hitting percentage, 1.11 blocks per game

Gorana Maricic: 4.67 kills per game, .242 hitting percentage, four service aces, 3.0 digs per game, 0.56 blocks per game

QUICK QUACKS: Head coach Jim Moore is 27-1 in non-conference action in his three seasons at Oregon...the Ducks are now 3-0 against Baylor all-time...Oregon's stretch of not dropping a game in its last 18 is the longest since the start of the rally scoring era 2001.