Cline Setting The Tone As Ducks Open Big Ten Play

The Oregon volleyball team will cap the first month of its season and open Big Ten Conference play this weekend, and the Ducks have come a long way since their first match back in August.

The UO women will look to remain perfect in September and extend an eight-match winning streak when they host Illinois in Matthew Knight Arena on Friday (7:30 p.m., FS1). They'll be back in action the next night, hosting Indiana on Saturday (5:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).

Reasons for Oregon's recent hot streak are myriad. The Ducks feature a ferocious block, and they've found stability in the back row by tinkering with their lineup. They've also enjoyed a breakout by the quarterback of their offense, redshirt freshman setter Cristin Cline, who has stepped into the big shoes of 2023 senior Hannah Pukis and is thriving in recent weeks.

"She's starting to play with the block a little bit more, she's starting to understand what other people are doing scheme-wise, and show she can identify that and make good choices," UO coach Matt Ulmer said. "We have a lot of great individual attackers; if she can continue to put them in good spots and make the right choices, we can have a lot of success."

Results this month have proven that to be true. After being swept by now-No. 1 Pittsburgh on Aug. 30, the Ducks turned to Cline at setter and they've been on a roll. They enter Big Ten play having swept their last three matches, with just five total sets lost during the current eight-match winning streak.

Cline is far from the only reason for all that success. But she's a reason, to be sure.

"When I first started it was just a whirlwind of emotions," said Cline, a native of Stanfield, N.C. "Obviously being brand new, coming out of a redshirt, it was like, this is my year. I've waited behind Hannah, done all my training, been coached up — now I just need to apply it all."

Entering the start of Big Ten play, Cline is 14th in the nation with 10.67 assists per set. She's feeding high-powered hitters Mimi Colyer and Noemi Glover, engaging powerful middles Onye Ofoegbu and Colby Neal, and setting a fiery tone reminiscent of recent UO star Brooke Nuneviller.

"She's worked to build the trust with us, and we've done the same with her," Ofoegbu said. "So that connection at this point feels pretty strong."

Those connections have been fostered through tireless work in the gym. Once Pukis departed after last season, the door was open for Cline to assert herself as a leader. The Ducks also added transfer Roberta Purashaj, who started the season opener and continues to compete with Cline in practice.

The bulk of Cline's club experience, Ulmer said, was in a 5-2 system, with two setters on the floor. She's had to learn to operate in a 5-1 with the Ducks, as the sole floor general for the offense.

"I'm trying to remember if I've seen anyone grow as quickly as she has in her skill-set," Ulmer said. "It's been really exciting to see."

With her experience in the practice gym and now over the past month of matches, the game is starting to slow down, Cline said. She has embraced the challenge of feeding Oregon's array of weapons, and implementing the coaches' game plan against the variety of defenses the Ducks see.

Through it all, Cline has tried to avoid emulating Pukis. With help from her parents, she said, she's reminding herself that Cris Cline, redshirt freshman, is under no pressure to replicate Hannah Pukis, fifth-year senior.

"She was great, but I'm gonna be my own person," Cline said. "I don't take it as necessarily coming out of her shadow. I'm my own person, and I'm gonna do what I do."

For the Ducks, that's plenty good enough.

"She's a competitor, she's got grit, she's tough," Ulmer said. "She wants to be really good. She's got a high IQ, a great feel and is just a really strong athlete."

As of this weekend, the season turns over a new leaf for Cline and the Ducks. The bar will be raised against the consistently tough competition of the Big Ten.

For a team with major postseason aspirations, it's time for a new test. And Oregon's young setter is showing she's ready for the challenge of leading the UO women to new heights, as she continues to grow from her experiences.

"I think she has all the goods to do it," Ulmer said. "So it's just a matter of time."