It’s safe to say there’s an interesting dynamic on the Oregon volleyball team this year.
The Ducks have been faced with injuries and a schedule loaded with ranked Pac-12 opponents. In their six conference matches thus far, five have been against ranked teams, including No. 3 Stanford and No. 11 Washington. However, the biggest hurdle facing head coach Matt Ulmer’s squad this year has been getting the inexperienced-yet-talented freshman class to step up and find their roles on a team with just three seniors.
Those seniors — Ronika Stone, Willow Johnson, and an injured Taylor Borup — are doing their best to be role models and guide the freshmen through year one of Oregon volleyball. For the most part, they’ve been successful in fostering good teammate relationships.
“We have great seniors,” Ulmer said of the trio. “Ronika has become one of our great leaders, she’s becoming a mentor for them.”
Not always one of the most vocal players on the court, Stone has learned how to be the center of attention. Her communication skills have improved along with her always-reliable abilities on the court.
“We’ve learned a lot of lessons so far, almost too many,” Stone said with a laugh after a five-set win over Utah in September. “With every point, there’s a lesson you could learn, something you could’ve done differently.”
While the team has had its fair share of challenges this year, Stone isn’t one to point the finger at lack of experience.
“We’ve had some trouble finishing games. I hate blaming it on youth, it’s just a mental thing now.”
The 6-foot-2 middle blocker out of San Jose, California is not only honing her communication and off-the-court leadership skills, but setting a good example with her play as well. She has 185 kills in 2019 and reached the 1000-kill mark in her college career earlier this season. Stone’s team-leading 222.5 points and .335 hit percentage highlight her aggressive and confident play style as a middle blocker.
Stone has stepped up as Oregon’s leader, but she’s had plenty of help guiding the young team from senior right-side hitter Willow Johnson. Johnson’s offense has always been consistent throughout her career as a Duck, and this year is no different, as she boasts a .275 hitting percentage.
“I’ve always been a strong hitter,” Johnson said. “But knowing I’m a senior and my role was going to be six rotations, I had to step up my hitting and defense.”
That versatility is crucial to an offense that’s needed the occasional jump start when they struggle to keep up with the high-powered Pac-12.
While the seniors have done their fair share to put the Ducks on the right track, there are only a few of them to try to perform such a difficult task. Although only a sophomore, Brooke Nuneviller was thrust into a leadership role as the next oldest on the team. Thankfully for the Ducks, Nuneviller has taken the role in stride.
“I’ve tried to be a leader my whole life,” Nuneviller said with confidence.
It’s easy to see why Nuneviller is such a natural leader. She has experience at libero, directing traffic and making stellar digs to set up her teammates. She’s also very familiar with the feeling of pressure to perform as a freshman.
“You can’t be afraid to take a role as a freshman,” she said.
When she’s on the court, Nuneviller sets the tone with a fiercely competitive attitude that her teammates can feed off of.
“You get somebody like Brooke Nuneviller, and she wants it so bad that when other people aren’t doing their jobs, she’s going to try to do more,” coach Ulmer said.
Nuneviller is a dynamic player, but prominent leadership isn’t the only thing needed for a successful volleyball club. The Ducks are still looking for youngsters to pick up some slack when Stone and Johnson are being swarmed by defenders.
Redshirt freshman Kylie Robinson has provided good support to the Oregon offense, earning herself Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors twice this year. She has also played a significant role as a setter, leading the team with 595 assists.
The Ducks have a wide range of talent in the slew of freshmen. Libero Georgia Murphy has given strong backcourt play all season, while Karsen Bacon and Taylor Williams have shown the ability to strike on offense from time to time.
Nobody is debating that Oregon has young talent on the roster this year. This squad has the personnel to develop into a truly dominant team in the next few years. Lately, however, they’ve had some trouble putting it all together.
“I can feel when our team is drifting apart,” Nuneviller said. “One of the things we’ve been working on is bringing the team back together when that happens.”
This season has been a learning curve for the Ducks, but it’s possible they could find their stride and come together as a team in the next few games. The question is who will step up to make that happen.
