Ducks Pick Up Top-15 Road Sweep at Minnesota

Saturday, November 9

Minneapolis, MN

1:00 PM

University of Oregon

18-5,10-4Big Ten

Minnesota

16-8,9-5Big Ten

Oregon

Minnesota

Photo by: Molly McPherson

11/09/24 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

No. 12 Oregon hit .327, tallied 14.5 blocks to snap a four-match skid against the Gophers.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The No. 12 Oregon volleyball team bounced back from Thursday's home loss to second-ranked Nebraska with a road sweep over No. 14 Minnesota Saturday afternoon. Onye Ofoegbu and Mimi Colyer each put down 10 kills and the Ducks quieted the Minnesota offense with 14.5 total team blocks in the straight-set victory.

With the 25-14, 25-20, 25-21 result, Oregon improves to 18-5 overall and collects its 10^th Big Ten win of the season. The victory also snaps the Ducks' four-match losing streak to Minnesota, good for its first win in the series since the 2018 NCAA regional semifinal also on the Gophers' home floor.

Ofoegbu did not commit an attack error in 14 swings to hit .714 against the Gophers and led all players with seven blocks. Collectively, the Ducks posted a .327 hitting percentage for the team's 11^th outing of the season at .300 or better. Noemie Glover and Sophie Gregoire each had seven kills in the Ducks' 6-2 system.

Setters Cristin Cline and Roberta Purashaj combined for 34 assists in the match.

Oregon reach double-digit team blocks for a ninth time this season and held Minnesota to a .127 hitting percentage. Colyer, Glover and Colby Neal each added five blocks of their own. Behind the block, libero Mackenzie Morris tallied 12 digs and was one of three UO players with two service aces. Cline and Bella Gamache also had a pair of aces in the win.

How It Happened: The Ducks raced out to an 8-2 lead in the first set and reached a double-digit lead at 16-6 on a kill by Ofoegbu. Oregon registered 6.5 of its 14.5 blocks in the opening frame including a Colyer-Neal tandem stuff for a 20-10 advantage. On its second set point, UO clinched the 1-0 match lead on a Minnesota service error.

The second set was tied at 7-all before Oregon rattled off seven of the next eight points, capping the run with another kill by Ofoegbu. The Ducks took their largest lead of the set—up 16-9—on the second ace for Morris. The home team pulled to within four which led to head coach Matt Ulmer calling his first timeout with UO leading 23-19. Ofoegbu answered with a kill out of the huddle and after the Gophers saved one set point, Colyer and Neal teamed up again for a block for a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard.

Minnesota (16-8, 9-5) had the quick start in the third set, taking a 4-0 lead and forcing the Ducks to call an early timeout. Oregon steadied and eventually pulled even at 8-all with an overpass kill by Neal. The set was tied 10-10 when the Ducks put together a decisive 8-2 surge. Gamache got the run started with back-to-back aces, the first service winners of her career.

The Gophers pushed back with a four-point run and got as close as two points on four occasions down the stretch but Oregon never gave up the lead. Neal and Ohwobete combined for a block and the 24-19 lead. Minnesota extended play by winning the next two points but Ohwobete got the final kill to finish off the sweep when a defender was called in the net.

Up Next: Oregon hosts Northwestern (6 p.m., B1G+) and celebrates Senior Day next Friday, Nov. 15, at Matthew Knight Arena.

For more news and information about Oregon Volleyball, follow @OregonVB on Instagram and Twitter, and @OregonVolleyball on Facebook.