When Carl Ferreira was first hired as the Oregon volleyball coach in January 2000, he knew his job was to turn around a perennial underdog.
After suffering his first losing season as a coach with the Ducks last fall, Ferreira took a big step Thursday toward bringing the team to its first postseason appearance since 1989.
Ferreira announced Thursday that two top recruits will join the team next season.
The Ducks won the battle to pick up Stephanie Martin, a sophomore at the College of Southern Idaho. Ferreira said the 6-foot-3 middle blocker will have an immediate impact on the team.
“Stephanie has the potential to become a first team all-Pac-10 selection,” Ferreira said. “She will make the other players on this team better. She demands attention in the middle, which is something we didn’t have last year.”
Katie O’Neil, the 2001 Oregon prep Gatorade Player of the Year, has also declared that she will attend Oregon next season.
O’Neil, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter from volleyball powerhouse Gresham High School in Gresham, finished her senior season with 229 kills and 316 digs. Ferreira said O’Neil will have an impact defensively, much like sophomore to-be Lindsay Murphy had on the team last season.
“A major priority was getting the state [recruits],” Ferreira said. “We want to establish a relationship with players in the region.”
Out of high school, Martin, a native of Mesa, Ariz., originally committed to Arizona, but because of academic problems, she was unable to enroll as a Wildcat.
In two years at Southern Idaho, Martin tallied 796 kills and 439 blocks while leading the team to its seventh national championship in eight years. She was named the National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year last season in addition to garnering MVP honors in the conference, region and national tournament in 2000.
“Our number-one priority was to improve the physicality of our roster,” Ferreira said. “I feel like teams had their way at the net with us last season. But Stephanie will be able to go eyeball-to-eyeball with any blocker in the conference.”