Chance For Redemption At Hand

Saturday, December 9

Madison, WI

5:00 PM

University of Oregon

Wisconsin

Photo by: Molly McPherson

12/09/23 | Women's Volleyball

The Oregon volleyball team was a point away from the Final Four last season, and the Ducks have another chance when the play at Wisconsin on Saturday (5 p.m. PT, ESPNU).

By: Rob Moseley

MADISON, Wisc. — They were one point away. And now, a year later, they're one match away.

It was Dec. 10, 2022, when the Oregon volleyball team had match point in the fourth set of an Elite Eight matchup at Louisville, but was unable to close it out and lost in five. One day shy of one year since that heartbreak, the Ducks will have a chance at redemption.

This time, it's another hostile road environment, as the UO women will play at regional top seed Wisconsin on Saturday (5 p.m. PT, ESPNU). A spot in the Final Four awaits the winner.

"Having a taste of what it's like, it made us want it even more this year," UO fifth-year libero Georgia Murphy said Friday, before the Ducks practiced at the UW Field House. "… We're so excited to finally be back here. Postseason came kind of quick, and now it's like, OK, finally — this is our shot."

Murphy and her fellow veterans of the program have accomplished something none before them could — making consecutive Elite Eight appearances. Murphy, Karson Bacon, Morgan Lewis and Elise Ferreira all were members of Oregon's nine-win team in 2019, then endured the COVID season played in the spring of 2021 before making history the past two years.

Bacon took advantage of a sixth year of eligibility owing to the pandemic; she's making her third trip to the Elite Eight, having been a redshirt on the 2018 team that reached this stage. Where once she watched veterans like Lindsay Vander Weide, Ronika Stone and August Raskie lead the Ducks to the precipice of the Final Four, she's has now done so herself — twice.

"We've had so many players come through and shed light on how to get it done," Bacon said. "Something that's really important and beneficial for us this year is, we added a lot of new pieces, but a lot of those pieces have experience in the tournament as well. So coming together and bringing all our experience and our knowledge together has been really good."

In the wake of last season's loss at Louisville, Bacon had a decision to make about her future. She had participated in Senior Day festivities. But the option of returning for one more go-round remained.

"I'm not sure if they knew they were going to come back for this last year, a year ago," UO coach Matt Ulmer said of his seniors. "The fact that they all wanted to tells you that there was a purpose for that. And I think you're seeing that with our playoffs right now. Their attention is focused."

That was apparent in Thursday's Sweet Sixteen match against Purdue. The Ducks came out and dominated the first set nearly start to finish, winning 25-14. The Boilermakers — who ended Oregon's 2021 spring season in the NCAA Tournament — found their footing, and had late leads in each of the next two sets. But the Ducks rallied to win both.

"That was, I think, our most complete match of the year," Ulmer said. "Everybody was really dialed in."

When the Ducks lost to Louisville, Ulmer said after that match, one of his biggest takeaways was the need to close out tightly contested sets; the Ducks led 22-21 in set one that night but lost it before nearly winning the next three in a row, before failing to take advantage of match point in the fourth. On Thursday against Purdue, the Ducks trailed 18-15 in the second and 18-16 in the third, but won both — grinding out a 29-27 set to clinch the sweep.

"When you're in playoffs, everything is daunting," Bacon said. "… We knew what it was like, how hard you need to compete. And we're ready to bring that again."

Winning Saturday will require handling another daunting environment. The Louisville match was played before a crowd of nearly 9,000 partisan fans; UW Field House holds closer to 7,500, but in an intimate setting reminiscent of Oregon's old McArthur Court.

"That was a really cool atmosphere — all those fans, I remember the floor was shaking," Murphy said of the Louisville match. "But we got to sit and watch (Wisconsin's Sweet Sixteen win over Penn State) and it's just a super cool atmosphere; incredible gym, incredible fans. And that got us excited."

Added Bacon: "There was a lot of red last year; a lot of red this year."

The Badgers, Ulmer said, might have the most physical block he's seen in his coaching career. Their back-row defense is strong as well, and they can attack from all over the floor, even when they're out of system.

It's a huge challenge for the Ducks. And it's one they've awaited for a full year.

"They really wanted to get back to this point, and you could see that throughout the year," Ulmer said. "… And so to see our growth through the playoffs, and to see our focus and determination, I expect that they're all going to bring their best (Saturday). And I'm just excited to see where that takes us."