Losing consecutive matches on consecutive nights to two of the best teams in the nation could be devastating for many clubs.
But the Oregon volleyball team is forgetting last weekend’s disappointing trip to Los Angeles, as well as the league games before those.
Instead, the Ducks are trying to look ahead and disregard their 0-5 start to the Pacific-10 Conference season.
“Now, when you look in the mirror, you say ‘eek’ and realize that you might not accomplish the things you want,” said first-year head coach Carl Ferreira, who has led the Ducks to a 7-6 overall start this season. “But we are still in reach of accomplishing some of the things we want. And winning is our first goal.”
After a four-match home stand, in which the team went 1-3, Oregon headed into its meetings in Southern California knowing it had to be nearly perfect to beat No. 1 USC and No. 5 UCLA.
“Those teams have a high level of intensity and put pressure on your execution, which increases the difficulty of play,” Ferreira said. “And that just makes you even more irritated that you let [matches against Stanford, California and Oregon State] slip away at home.”
In their quest for their first conference win of the season, the Ducks must contend with Arizona State and No. 6 Arizona this weekend at McArthur Court.
“At home, we need to take care of business,” Ferreira said.

Set me up
Junior Julie Gerlach and sophomore Sydney Chute are leading the complex Oregon 4-2 Flex offensive scheme. The two setters are the cornerstone of the system, leading the squad with a combined 521 assists (nearly 10.5 per game).
Additionally, the duo accounts for one-fourth of the Ducks’ overall attacks.
Thus far, Gerlach and Chute have combined for 465 attacks, compared with last year’s total of just 201 attacks.
Ferreira compares the setters to the quarterback of a football team or the point guard of a basketball squad.

“Julie and Sydney are key components and critical to our success,” he said. “Teams with the best quarterbacks are hard to beat. They [Gerlach and Chute] are doing a great job.”

A bench killer
Sophomore middle blocker Amanda Porter is proving to be a solid addition to the Ducks’ lineup and is usually the first to be called off the bench.
The Idaho transfer, who came to Eugene with coach Ferreira, has recorded 69 kills this season and is third on the team with a .258 attack percentage and third in total blocks with 34.

A chemical reaction
Despite zero conference wins, the Ducks still have confidence in their abilities and in each other.
“I really like our chemistry,” Ferreira said. “Everyone has a strong relationship with the coaches, and we all trust each other. It is a ‘we’ oriented atmosphere.”

Community service
Oregon is the best serving team in the Pac-10, averaging 1.96 per game. Chute is second in the league with 0.5 aces per game.
“We’ve been serving really well and doing a good job of breaking other teams out of their system,” Ferreira said. “But even though we’re breaking them down, they’re still making the plays.”
It is Oregon’s transition game, Ferreira said, that is not efficient enough.
“We just have to stuff ’em,” he said.

Leaders of the pack
Oregon’s four upperclassmen — seniors Halie Mazza and Amy Banducci and juniors Monique Tobbagi and Gerlach — have stepped it up of late, and are more focused on their roles as leaders.
Earlier in the season, Ferreira was somewhat critical of his team’s lack of leadership. Since then, though, the players have molded into their roles.
“Maybe when the program was struggling [the last few years], they were just hanging on for survival and not working on competitive leadership,” Ferreira said. “Now they’ve begun to assume some leadership capabilities.”