Final Week of Nonconference Play Starts Thursday at MKA

EUGENE, Ore. — The No. 23 Oregon volleyball team hosts Portland State Thursday evening at Matthew Knight Arena. First serve of the in-state matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Ducks bring their 7-1 record into the final week of non-conference play.

Series History: Oregon vs Portland State
Dating back to 2004, the Ducks have won 15 of the past 16 matches against Portland State. Prior to that season, the teams hadn't played since 1998. Oregon is 14-9 against Portland State in matches played in Eugene including a 4-0 record at Matthew Knight Arena. Despite the Ducks' recent control of the series, Portland State carries a 39-28-1 all-time advantage.

Last Time vs Portland State
The teams met last season in Portland where the Ducks rallied from a 2-1 match deficit to beat Portland State in five. Then-freshman Alanah Clemente led Oregon with 19 kills including the match-winning tally in the decisive fifth frame. Valentina Vaulet accounted for nine kills, nine digs and four service aces. The win gave Oregon a 9-1 record going into conference play.

Killing It
Oregon enters the week ranked second in the Big Ten and 14^th in the NCAA with 14.28 kills per set. The Ducks have at least 15 kills in 18 of the 29 sets played this season. Their 414 total kills are fifth most in the conference. The team is also second in the Big Ten at 13.31 assists per set, a figure good for 12^th in the nation.

Sjakkie Shines
In Oregon's four-set win over San Diego (Sept. 13), junior Sjakkie Donkers had a season-high 17 kills and hit .441, all over the final three sets of the match. She also had four digs, two blocks and an ace. Donkers went into the match with a previous high of five kills against SEMO in the second match of the season.

Another 20 Piece for Val
Senior outside hitter Valentina Vaulet put down a match-high 20 kills in the Ducks' four-set loss to No. 7 Arizona State (Sept. 11) in Tempe. It was her second 20-kill performance of the year, her third as a Duck and the ninth of her career between her time at Michigan and Oregon. Vaulet also had nine digs and an ace against the Sun Devils.

Top 10 in the B1G
Valentina Vaulet enters the week fifth in the Big Ten with 107 total kills, sixth with 16 service aces and seventh with 3.69 kills per set. Marina Crownover is sixth among league setters with 283 assists and is averaging 10.68 assists per set over the past six matches. Dalia Virlan is 10^th in the conference with her .432 hitting percentage.

Last Time Out
Oregon dropped the opening set to San Diego but rallied for a four-set win in the finale of the Snyder-Park Classic in Tempe. Sjakkie Donkers led all players with 17 kills and Valentina Vaulet had her second double-double of the season with 12 kills and 14 digs to go along with three aces. Donkers and Vaulet were named to the all-tournament team. Sunday's win was the team's third of the season after losing the first set.

Up Next
The Ducks will close out their non-conference schedule Sunday afternoon (1 p.m., B1G+) against rival Oregon State. Single-match and season tickets for all UO home matches are currently on sale. Fans can also click HERE for this season's promotional schedule.

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