All beautiful things have to end eventually, right?
After starting the season out 6-0, the Gophers handed the Ducks their first set and game loss of the season in a five-set thriller (25-21, 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 16-14) that was fought out until the last point.
Three Ducks — Mimi Colyer, Gabby Gonzales, and Hannah Pukis — all ended the night with double-doubles. With 58 assists, 38 kills, and 43 digs combined, who knows how this game would’ve finished against a reigning NCAA tournament appearance team — who have also hosted the first and second round for eight consecutive years — and the No. 10 ranked school in the country.
Right from the start, the game was a battle. At 11-all, the Gophers rallied off four out of the next five points for a cushioned lead. Luckily, a media timeout gave the Ducks an opportunity to reset before returning to the court, but they were able to capitalize on it because, with a Minnesota 18-13 lead, Oregon was forced to call a timeout although Colyer, Gonzales, and Morgan Lewis with three kills each.
Back-to-back kills from Kara McGhee brought the Ducks within three, causing the Gophers to call their first timeout as well. Despite saving a set point with a back-row kill from Gonzales, who finished the first set with five kills, a .333 hitting percentage, and four digs, Minnesota took the opener, handing Oregon its first set loss all season.
The Ducks were the first team to reach 10 in the second set, but it wasn’t easy. After Pukis dumped the ball twice, including a kill, Oregon took a one-point lead. Minnesota quickly took the lead back at 15-13 with a timeout on the floor and during that time, Lewis took over the team lead of seven kills to keep the Ducks in the game.
A Georgia Murphy ace gave the Ducks the lead once again, but with a rally from both teams, the game was tied at 20. During the race to the final five points, McGhee hit her fifth kill of the match to give Oregon a late lead at 23-22 and the Gophers were forced to call timeout. Once both teams returned to the floor, a Murphy dig and a Lewis kill allowed the Ducks to take set two, and the game was all tied up.
Oregon continued to use that groove and momentum to start the third set to give the Ducks their largest lead of the match at 10-6 before the Gophers called timeout to stop them. Another scoring run by the Ducks forced Minnesota to use another timeout, and when it was time to return, a milestone was hit. Gonzales reached her 1,000 career dig but it wasn’t time to celebrate yet.
Quickly after, the Ducks called their first timeout of the set after Minnesota cut the deficit down to two points at 23-21. But, Oregon didn’t allow them to get any closer than that as they took a 2-1 lead.
When the whistle was blown for the fourth set to start, Minnesota came out hot. A quick 3-0 scoring run by the Gophers gave them a four-point early lead. In the middle of the set, Oregon managed to pull within three, but with a short rally from Minnesota, the lead was pushed back to five and eventually, the game was tied at 2-2.
For the first time this season, not only was the game extended past three sets, but it took all five for the winner to be decided. The largest lead of the set was four after the Gophers went on a 4-0 run before the Ducks called timeout, but throughout the entirety of it, it stayed pretty close, with each team rotating with a one or two point lead. Two Colyer kills and a Pukis ace brought the Ducks back within one after the Gophers’ run, and it remained tied until match point. Minnesota managed to take the final two points to hand Oregon its first loss of the season.
Not only does this invitational allow the Ducks to see and play against their future conference opponents, but it’s possibly a preview of the 2023 NCAA tournament. Oregon will finish the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge Saturday afternoon against No. 15 Ohio State at 4:30 pm PT.
