Ducks Jet East for First Road Test

EUGENE, Ore. – The fourth-ranked Oregon acrobatics and tumbling program will hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to face No. 2 Quinnipiac at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 23, in Hamden, Conn.

MEET INFO
When: Friday, March 14
Where: M&T Bank Arena | Hamden, Conn.
Time: 10 a.m. PT

THE DUCKS vs. THE BOBCATS
Oregon hits the road for the first time this season when it takes on the No. 2-ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats. The Ducks hold a 13-4 advantage all time against Quinnipiac, though QU has won the last three matchups, including a 275.420-270.440 victory at MKA last season. The Bobcats enter Sunday's matchup with an unblemished 5-0 record, including a pair of wins over top-10 teams. Quinnipiac finished the 2024 season with a perfect record in the regular season before falling in the semifinals to No. 3 Gannon.

SWEET ENDING ON SENIOR NIGHT
The Ducks closed the home season in style with a 275.180-256.005 win over No. 5 Mary Hardin-Baylor last time out for UO's second ranked win in a row. Oregon never trailed against the Crusaders, using high scores in acro and pyramid to build a first half lead and set up a dominant second half. The Ducks scored a 29.00 in the acro event, their highest mark since the 2022.

TOP-FOUR CLASH GOES TO THE DUCKS
After some miscues early, Oregon used a dominant second half to secure its first ranked win of the season over No. 3 Gannon, 276.565-263.465. The Ducks held a slight edge at the break but outpointed the Golden Knights in all three events afterwards to seal the win. Tumbling was the Ducks' biggest strength of the night as UO posted a 58.025 total for the event - the highest mark since the 2017 season. The Ducks sealed the win with a 97.240 team event score, the second-highest score UO has posted this year and third-highest under head coach Taylor Susnara.

KEEPIN' IT 10.0
The Ducks earned their first 10.0 of the season last time out against Baylor, scoring perfect in the open pyramid heat. UO employed a technical tweak to that heat, rotating Oregon's group - Blessyn McMorris, Bella Swarthout, Brylie Hoover, Emily Rezner and Selah Bell - 90 degrees to face the team's sideline, and it resulted in a flawless mark a week after earning a 9.90. The Ducks have now gone perfect 16 times in the open pyramid and the 26 times in the pyramid event all-time.

BASES SETTING THE STANDARD
Three bases - Bella Swarthout, Blessyn McMorris and Angelica Martin - were recognized by the NCATA following the win over UMHB. Swarthout earned honorable mention athlete of the week recognition, McMorris received an honorable mention specialist of the week nod, and Martin was tabbed honorable mention freshman of the week for the third time in her debut campaign.

» Martin was the Freshman of the Week last week, an honor Swarthout and McMorris have both claimed in their careers.
» McMorris earned Freshman of the Week honors three times in 2022 before being named the Freshman of the Year.
» McMorris earned Athlete of the Week recognition following UO's win over Morgan State.

OPENING WITH A BOOM
The Ducks opened the 2025 season in style by beating Morgan State, 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.

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. Already with two ranked wins under their belts, the Ducks will look to climb up the rankings the rest of the way as all four of UO's remaining regular-season meets are against teams ranked in the top eight.