TEMPE, Ariz.
? For the first time in 11 years, the 21st-ranked Oregon volleyball
team escaped Tempe triumphantly, but it wasn't easy as the Ducks needed four
games (30-23, 40-42, 30-25, 32-30) to edge
Arizona State and notch their second straight Pacific-10 victory on Thursday night at Wells Fargo Arena.
Oregon is now
13-2 overall and 2-1 in league ? the program's best start to conference since the
1990 season. Arizona State
drops to .500 at 8-8 and winless (0-3) in the Pac-10.
Oregon revived
itself from three separate six-point deficits in the fourth and final game, including
rallying off five consecutive points on three kills, one block and one service
ace to climb back into the match at 22-22. With the fourth game tied 30-30, Oregon
libero Katie Swoboda served the final two points. Sonja Newcombe's 19th
kill of the match, followed by a collective effort on a block from sophomores
Neticia Enesi and Nevena Djordjevic clinched the victory.
"I am very proud of this team tonight," head coach Jim Moore said. "We
were on the road and found ourself trailing at times, but this group
didn't panic. They were able to regroup and grind out wins. Especially
after an exhausting game two, we were able to put the third and fourth
games away when we needed to."
Junior outside hitter Gorana Maricic recorded her sixth
double-double of the season with 26 kills and 13 digs. Newcombe set a new
season high with 19 kills, while also picking up a double-double, her fourth of
the year, by adding 12 digs and six total blocks.
It was a joint effort from Oregon
as freshman Heather Meyers added 11 kills and three service aces, while Enesi
matched her season high with nine kills, hit .438 and added six total blocks.
Senior Karen Waddington added seven kills and five total blocks, three of which
were solo, a new season high.
"Everyone contributed to this victory tonight," Moore said. "Our
blockers did an excellent job and our setters were able to spread the
ball around for our attack to work effectively."
Djordjevic's 43 assists were a new season high, while the team's 19.0 blocks was also a best in 2007.
The Ducks hit .282 compared to Arizona
State's .228. The Sun Devils were
led by Sarah Reaves' 28 kills and Marina Mercer's 72 assists.
In the first game Oregon started slowly, trailing 2-6, but
the Ducks made their way back into the game at 7-7 as Djordjevic spread the
offense around, tallying a kill of her own while also setting up Newcombe,
Maricic and Meyers.
Oregon took
the lead for good at 9-8 and rallied off four straight points to create some
breathing room with a 15-11 advantage.
Game two turned into a marathon with the home team
eventually prevailing, 42-40. The highest scoring game in Oregon's
program history since the start of rally scoring in 2001, neither team had more
than a two-point advantage the entire way.
After two games things were even at 1-1, with Oregon
hitting .316 and led by Maricic and Newcombe, who each had already reached
double figures in points and kills. Waddington also had three solo blocks to
her credit in those first two games.
Oregon now
heads to Arizona (11-4, 1-2) for
the second match of the weekend tomorrow. A live stats and video link will be provided on www.GoDucks.com. The Wildcats swept Oregon
State in their Thursday night
action, and have not lost to the Ducks in Tucson
since Oct. 30, 1998.
QUICK QUACKS: Thursday's victory was the first time an
Oregon win did not come by way of a sweep in 2007...the Ducks are now 12-0 in
three-game matches, 1-1 in four-game matches and 0-1 in five game matches...Arizona
State leads the series 34-8...the Ducks' victory over the Sun Devils was the
program's first win in Tempe since a five-game triumph on Oct. 26, 1996...Jim
Moore is now 10-29 in the Pac-10.
