After administering the first loss of the year to then-No. 2 Washington Huskies, head coach Jim Moore and No. 3 Oregon volleyball is about to depart on a four-game road trip.
The team will first travel to Arizona to take on the Sun Devils and the Wildcats and then will face Pac-12 newcomers Colorado and Utah before returning to the welcoming confines of Matthew Knight Arena.@@good line@@
While the four squads on the schedule are all located toward the bottom of the top-heavy Pac-12, there are several things that Oregon must do to ensure continued success.
Avoid a one-woman show
Senior outside hitter Alaina Bergsma is currently ranked second in kills per set in the conference at 4.63,@@http://www.calbears.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/111511aaa.html@@ but the true success of the team occurs when she does not have to shoulder the entirety of the offensive load. Sophomore outside hitter Liz Brenner has been able to take some of the pressure off Bergsma and is currently ranked tenth in the Pac-12 with 3.8 kills per set.
Where the Ducks really solidify themselves as a program is their depth at outside hitter.
While Bergsma and Brenner garner a lot of attention from the media and opposing coaches, senior Katherine Fischer is quietly having a very nice 2012 campaign, already netting three double-doubles in conference play. She provides a phenomenal third option on the outside, and with her being effective the Ducks are far more dangerous.
Keep Lauren Plum playing at an elite level.
This season, junior setter Lauren Plum has truly turned the corner and made herself one of the elite setters in all of college volleyball. Her top-level performances throughout the year have led not only to the success of the team, but have garnered individual accomplishments like AVCA National Player of the Week.
Plum currently sits atop the Pac-12 rankings, averaging 13.43 assists per set with 376 total in conference play. Referred to at times as the “quarterback” of the fast-paced Oregon offensive attack, when Plum is hitting her marks and setting up her hitters for success the Ducks are a formidable force.
Coach Moore has talked about how Plum has grown from just an athletic setter to a setter who understands the game, and her continued high-level play will be crucial during this four-game road stretch and the rest of the season.
Improve defensive consistency.
While the Oregon volleyball team has not been referred to as a defensive juggernaut, the defense for the Ducks is nothing to take lightly. Junior middle blocker Ariana Williams provides a consistent presence in the middle and with the maturation of freshman Canace Finley throughout the year, the Oregon defense is solid.
However, the squad does not have a player ranked in the top 10 in blocks in conference, and this could be troublesome during tournament play.
Use the road trip as an opportunity to grow.
This upcoming four-match set will provide the Ducks a great opportunity to continue their success in conference before returning home to face two top-10 teams in Stanford and Cal.
While the competition on the trip does seem to be on a much lower level than Oregon, they must not take any opponent lightly and approach each game as a single, important entity.