No. 4 Ducks to Face No. 1 Baylor on Saturday

EUGENE, Ore. – The fourth-ranked Oregon acrobatics and tumbling program will face the top-ranked Baylor Bears at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Matthew Knight Arena.

MEET INFO
When: Saturday, Feb. 22
Where: Matthew Knight Arena | Eugene, Ore.
Time: 4 p.m. PT
Watch: https://www.bigtenplus.com/en-int/livestream/baylor-at-oregon/1853142
Live Results: https://goducks.com/sports/2022/2/28/acro-scores

THE DUCKS vs. BEARS
Two of the biggest names in acrobatics and tumbling will meet on the mat for the 39th time on Saturday. The meet will be a massive test for the No. 4 Ducks, who will only face teams ranked in the top eight of the NCATA preseason coaches poll for the rest of the regular season. Baylor enters as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation and rides a 40-meet win streak, their last loss coming at the hands of the Ducks at MKA in 2021. Oregon has handed Baylor head coach Felicia Mulkey her only two losses in 10 seasons leading the Bears.

GOING BIG AT HOME
The Ducks opened the 2025 season in style by beating Morgan State last week, 281.205-256.145. Both Oregon's team total and team event score (99.18) were the program's highest since the 2021 season and highest under head coach Taylor Susnara. UO's total was also the highest in a season-opening meet since the Ducks scored 281.480 to start the 2015 season.

» The Ducks continued to shine in the pyramid event, scoring 29.65 against the Bears. UO has now scored 29.00 or better in eight of nine meets dating back to last season.
» The Ducks' team event tally was just the fifth score of 99.00-plus since the 2018 season.

ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE BASES
Blessyn McMorris and Angelica Martin earned weekly honors from the NCATA following the Ducks' season opening win. McMorris competed in five of six events in her return from injury but shined in the pyramid event, where she helped lead the Ducks to a 9.85 or better in all three heats, and was a key part of UO's team event success en route to her first-career Athlete of the Week nod. Martin also competed five events in her first collegiate meet, including the debut of a brand-new skill that she and fellow freshman Cassidy Cu submitted in the five-element acro, which earned a 9.65. It is the first skill of its kind ever competed at Oregon.

» McMorris earned Freshman of the Week honors three times in 2022 before being named the Freshman of the Year.

AMONG THE BEST
The Ducks entered the 2025 season ranked No. 4 in the NCATA preseason coaches poll, their fourth time being ranked in the top five under Coach Susnara. Oregon was one of four teams, alongside No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Quinnipiac and No. 3 Gannon, to receive at least one first-place vote. The Ducks will look to climb up the rankings throughout the season and will have ample opportunity to do so, as six of UO's seven regular-season meets are against teams ranked in the top eight.

LOOKING BACK
The Ducks finished 4-4 in Susnara's third year at the helm of the program, with all four wins coming against teams ranked in the top 10 of the final NCATA poll. Oregon reached at least the NCATA semifinals for the second season in a row and claimed four event titles in 2024, winning the open toss and duo, trio and quad tumbling pass titles. Four event titles were the most claimed by a UO squad in a single season since 2019 and pushed the program total up to a staggering 56 all-time event titles. The Ducks shined in the pyramid event and in compulsory toss, where UO scored at least 9.85 five times.

» Oregon has historically dominated the trio pass event, as last season's title was the sixth in program history.
» The duo tumbling title was Oregon's first since 2013.

LOOKING FORWARD
The Ducks return 17 letterwinners from last season's squad for the 2025 season. Alexis Giardina is back for her senior season after earning NCATA all-America honors last season while being an integral piece in the Ducks' trio tumbling event. Five other Ducks who were a part of event title-winning lineups - Ava Gowdy, Brylie Hoover, Rachel Furlong, Rickelle Henderson and Riley Watson - are back for Coach Susnara's squad as well.

After missing all of last season with achilles injuries, Haley Ellis and 2022 NCATA Freshman of the Year Blessyn McMorris will make their return to the mat as seniors. The Ducks have to replace two-time all-American McKenna Carrion, but Oregon welcomes 11 newcomers to the squad, headlined a pair of tumblers - Briya Alvarado and Morgan Willingham - and the electric duo of Cassidy Cu and Angelica Martin that will look to make an instant impact in their debut seasons.