The Ducks volleyball team headed to Los Angeles this weekend in poor condition.
They had lost five straight, with four of them coming at Matthew Knight Arena in front of a home crowd. The homestand also resulted in their elimination from the NCAA tournament when they fell to Washington State.
Then they dropped their sixth consecutive game in the weekend opener on Friday night to UCLA in five sets. To make matters worse, they had to stay in Los Angeles to face a USC team that swept the Ducks in Eugene on October 20th. It seemed as though the season was spiraling into a worst-case scenario.
But then, the Ducks fought back.
Oregon finished its weekend trip to Los Angeles in a five-set thriller, handing USC its fourth loss at the Galen Center and 12th loss on the year on Sunday afternoon. Willow Johnson followed her career-high 20-kill game against UCLA with another team-leading 16 against the Women of Troy.
Oregon kept it close in the first set, and was able to go on a four point run to tie the set after they fell behind 10-14. USC pulled away though, with four in a row of their own later in the set, which proved to be insurmountable. USC’s final three points consisted of attack errors by Ronika Stone and Brooke Nuneviller, and the set ended at 20-25 on a service error by Stone.
The second set featured six lead changes, and neither team led by more than three at any point during the set. Johnson had two clutch kills late, one to put the Ducks up 25-24 and another to break a 25-25 tie. Oregon won the set 27-25.
The competitive play continued in the third set. A kill by senior Ronika Stone sparked a five point run that gave the Ducks a lead they wouldn’t surrender for the remainder of the set. Stone also capped the scoring run with an ace, and Johnson secured the 25-18 set win with a kill, putting the Ducks up 2-1.
USC was able to fight back with a pair of blocks on consecutive points in the middle of the fourth set, which were part of a four point scoring run to give USC the lead. The home team held on to win the set 25-22.
With the match heading into a fifth and final set, yet another heartbreaking loss for Oregon loomed. It took four set points to finally decide the victor. With the score at 17-16 in favor of the Ducks, USC’s Khalia Lanier went for the kill, only to be rejected by Freshman Karsen Bacon. The Ducks’ benched rushed the court in joy, hugging and high-fiving their teammates; they got to experience the joy of winning; something that they hadn’t felt since Nov. 1st.
This young Oregon team has been looking for a freshman to step up all season, and Bacon rose to the occasion on Sunday. She had two blocks — including the game winning rejection — to go along with 12 kills and a .360 hitting percentage.
The win doesn’t mean much in terms of the standings for Oregon, but it is valuable nonetheless. The team showed grit and their ability to battle, as well as maturity. While they won’t be making the NCAA tournament, the Ducks left Los Angeles Sunday with their heads held high.
