After Oregon’s fifth-set stunner over Colorado last weekend, the Ducks are hoping to maintain their winning ways with a victory over Stanford this Thursday.
Stanford is currently on a 4-0 winning streak after sweeps of Washington State, Arizona State and a 3-1 victory over Arizona. The Cardinal has its eye on the NCAA regionals, which it won to advance to the semifinals last year.
Oregon is 11-10 overall and 5-7 in the Pac-12 this season, while No. 7 Stanford is 15-5 overall and 9-3 in conference.
In Oregon’s last match against the Cardinal, Pac-12 analyst Al Scates gave the advantage to Stanford, partially because it had home-court advantage. This time, though, Oregon is playing at home and boasts three hitters who put up double digit kills each match.
Offensive edge: Oregon hitting
Senior Martenne Bettendorf led the Ducks in Oregon’s wins over Colorado with 17 kills, six of which were scored in the final set alone. The Ducks have also been running a 6-2 offense in recent matches, with Maggie Scott and August Raskie at setter.
This offensive switch-up allows for more swing attempts, which has done the Ducks well in recent matches.
Taylor Agost has been a success story in this new offense, scoring 16 kills against Colorado and 12 against Utah. Her offensive counterparts, outside Lindsey Vander Weide and middle Kacey Nady, added 15 and 11 points for Oregon against Utah.
Defensive edge: Stanford digging
The Cardinal defense is led by last week’s “Pac-12 Freshman of the Week,” libero Halland McKenna. Proving her title, McKenna scored 27 digs against Arizona to add to the 64-dig total. Stanford hitting standout Hayley Hodson also stepped up as a defensive key with 10 digs (not to mention 15 kills).
The Stanford defense needs to pick up digs to keep its notoriously quick offense alive. This speedy set-up is led by Madi Bugg, who scored her ninth assist-dig double-double of the season in the Arizona win.
A match win will be a struggle for Oregon, despite a stacked offense. The Ducks’ 6-2 offense will allow them more opportunities at swings. Maximum kill opportunities will be key for Oregon, just as long as they aren’t directed at Halland McKenna.
Prediction:
For this match, the overall advantage goes to Stanford based not just on its defensive abilities, but also its hitting weapon Hodson. But Oregon isn’t going down without a fight. Look out for big blocks and a fair amount of line action from Oregon’s front row, especially with its trial run of a 6-2 offense.
Oregon’s match begins at 8 p.m this Thursday at Matthew Knight Arena, and will be followed by another home match on Sunday against Cal.
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