Yet Another Top-25 Foe Tested By Ducks

Sunday, October 26

Eugene, OR

1:00 PM

University of Oregon

13-7,4-6Big Ten

Wisconsin

15-3,8-2Big Ten

Wisconsin

Oregon

Photo by: GoDucks.com

10/26/25 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Oregon is 2-2 over it last four matches, all against top-25 competition, after dropping a tough battle Sunday with Wisconsin.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — The second half of Big Ten play is about to begin for Oregon women's volleyball, which is reframing expectations after finishing the first half with a flourish.

The Ducks closed out the first round of conference action with a four-set loss Sunday to No. 12 Wisconsin. Over the past two weeks, the UO women have split four matches against top-25 teams, with wins over Minnesota and UCLA, and losses to defending national champion Penn State and then Sunday to the Badgers, 26-28, 25-23, 25-22, 27-25.

"I think it's just been so clear we're up there with them," said senior Sophia Meyers, who had17 kills Sunday to share the UO lead with freshman Alanah Clemente. "We were so underestimated coming into the season, and we have two top-25 wins and were right there with Penn State, were right there with Wisconsin. And so I think it just shows that we are up there, and we're getting better every single day, and that's translating onto the court every point, every game."

Picked to finish 12th in the Big Ten's preseason poll, the Ducks (13-7, 4-6 Big Ten) are tied for 11th so far and primed to surge if they can maintain the momentum of the last couple weeks.

"(Wisconsin coach Kelly) Sheffield had a press conference earlier this week, and he said that we're in a state or transition — and usually that means, like, unstable," said first-year UO coach Trent Kersten, whose roster features just one holdover from the 2024 team. "And I see it as, we're in a state of transition but it means more like acceleration. It means more like, oh my gosh, these guys are way better than anybody thought. And I think that's a really cool spot to be in. And so he's right — we are in this state of transition. It's just happening faster than anyone thought it could. I love that about our team. I love that about our staff."

How It Happened: After honoring former UO standout Mimi Colyer prior to the match to mark her return to Eugene, the Wisconson outside hitter had a kill to put the Badgers up 8-4 in the opening set, then took over behind the service line as her team scored the next five points for a 13-4 lead. But the Ducks tightened up their defense to begin crawling back, tying it 16-16 on a kill by Clemente and taking a 19-18 lead on a kill from Ica Sucurovic. It was 23-23 when Meyers had a kill to set up the first of four set points for the Ducks, who finally finished off a 28-26 win on a block by Holley McFadden and Cora Taylor.

After hitting .333 in the opening set, Oregon hit .139 in the second. Still, the Ducks had a 14-11 lead after an ace by Clemente, and an ace from Sucurovic made it 18-15. But Wisconsin fought back to tie it 22-22, then scored three of the next four to even the match at one set a piece. The final point of the set was one of Oregon's 18 service errors in the match.

"We have to serve at an aggressive level to compete — we have to," Kersten said. "And so it's not just like a choice, it's a requirement of trying to be in it with this caliber of teams."

The UO women trailed 6-3 in the third, then scored five of the next six pointsand took an 8-7 lead on a kill from Valentina Vaulet. After Clemente tied it 15-15, the teams traded the next 12 points back and forth; Oregon would take a one-point lead and then the Badgers would tie it, six times in a row. The last was at 21-21, before Wisconsin again surged at the end of a set to take the lead in the match.

As in the first set, the Ducks outhit the Badgers in the fourth, in that case .316 to .250. Trailing 3-1 early, Oregon scored six of the next seven points, getting two kills from Clemente and one each from Meyers, Vaulet and Sucurovic. The Ducks scored six of eight later to lead 14-9, a run capped by consecutive kills from Meyers. But Wisconsin later scored six of eight itself, trying the fourth set at 21-21. The Ducks answered with three straight to get within a point of winning the set and evening the match, but Wisconsin scored the next four and six of the last seven to win.

"I really, really think we were outplaying that team for a lot of the match," Kersten said. "And then we just have a couple plays here and there, when it got to the end of the set, that we can clean up."

Up Next: The Ducks play at Washington on Friday (8 p.m., Big Ten Network).