Sonja Newcombe focused everything she had on volleyball.
Outside the sport, the Lake Arrowhead, Calif. native’s life has been jumbled as she deals with the wildfires that have approached her family’s home and midterms.
“Everything’s kind of rolled into one,” Newcombe said. “I’ve been talking to my family a lot and they’re OK and my house is OK and everything like that. It has gotten better as the week’s progressed.”
Newcombe made it seem like everything was normal Friday with 15 kills in Oregon’s three-game sweep of visiting Arizona before 656 fans at McArthur Court. Outside of a come-from-behind win in game three, Oregon eased past Arizona 30-20, 30-18 and 31-29.
“It’s good to win,” Newcombe said. “I was a little frustrated with the third game. I’m sure everyone has said the same thing, but we just want to come out and play better.”
Gorana Maricic, who led Oregon with 23 kills, also had nine digs and a .500 hitting percentage. Heather Meyers had 11 kills and hit .733.
After winning its lone match last week at Oregon State, Oregon’s two matches this week are against two schools in Arizona and Arizona State that are below the Ducks in the conference standings and in coach Jim Moore’s eyes must wins.
“It’s real important for us because it is,” Moore said. “You got to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat …. We’re at home. It’s real important. We’re focused and ready to go.”
The Ducks host Arizona State tonight at 7 p.m.
Oregon improved its record to 16-6 and evened its Pacific-10 Conference record at 5-5. Arizona fell to 12-10 and 2-8 in conference play.
The win capped a long week for Newcombe, who learned her family had to leave their home on Monday morning and hasn’t been able to go back. They traveled to Palm Springs, Calif. and are staying at the home of Newcombe’s aunt.
Running Springs is the big fire near the family’s house and Newcombe says it is a 15-minute drive away.
Newcombe says it remains unknown when her family can return home, but even knowing this, has stayed focused on volleyball.
“This is my passion and where I put stress and frustration and everything into,” Newcombe said. “This is a great outlet for me everyday to just be able to come. I got to do my job. I have to produce every day.”
And she did with three kills in a 4-1 Oregon run to start game 1. Oregon led 21-16 when the Ducks ran off five straight points for a 26-16 lead. Meyers clinched game 1, 30-20, with a kill.
In game 2, Oregon blistered Arizona as the Ducks hit .594 and won by 12, 30-18.
“We hit so well in game 2,” Moore said. “It was literally ridiculous. They had one real point and it was the last point they got.”
Game 3 offered Oregon more of a challenge. The Ducks traded points with Arizona much of the game and trailed 29-27. But Arizona had a service error and Oregon used consecutive Maricic kills for a 30-29 lead. Neticia Enesi then made a block as Oregon won the game and match, 31-29.
“I really didn’t think we were going to lose so that’s a good thing,” coach Moore said.

Libero Katie Swoboda gave teammates and coaches a scare when she collided with the bleachers going for the ball with Oregon ahead 21-20 in the third game. Swoboda, who had 19 digs, dove for the ball, and stayed on the ground momentarily until, surrounded by teammates, she got up and flashed a smile.
“She always scares me but I didn’t see it,” Moore said.
Kristen Forristall made an immediate impact in game 1 with three kills in Oregon’s first eight points. In the first two games, the middle blocker made six kills in seven attempts.
“This is the first game that I thought Kristen showed what she can do,” Moore said. “We still didn’t probably set her enough balls.”
Part of that, Moore says, is the fact Newcombe and Maricic were hitting so well. Oregon had a .300 hitting percentage in game 1 and bumped that up to .594 in the second game. On the night, the Ducks hit .423 – Oregon’s best percentage against a conference opponent this season.
Maricic, who is a regular go-to option along with Newcombe, noticed the extra help from the 6-foot-2 Forristall. Forristall, for the match, had seven kills and hit .556.
“She was really good,” Maricic said. “We see her doing it in practice. It gives you so much energy.”
Forristall deflected attention afterwards.
“Everyone’s got to be ready for the ball and when you do get it, you just got to put it down,” she said.
[email protected]