Succumbing to heavy pressure from multiple sources, the NCAA granted schools permission to give scholarship-athletes an additional $2,000 per year in grant money last week. While much of the pay-for-play debate in college athletics revolves around the football cash cow@@m-w@@, scholarship athletes in all sports stand to benefit from the NCAA’s recent ruling.
Players and coaches on the No. 20@@http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/volleyball-women/d1/avca_coaches@@ Oregon volleyball team (15-7, 8-6 Pac-12@@schedule@@) had varied reactions to news of the stipend.
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Duck outside hitter Jaklyn Wheeler@@CE@@ said. “I’ll definitely be looking into it, because I’m curious about why they’re going to raise it. Personally, I think for the Eugene area, the cost of living is so low it doesn’t affect us as much as L.A. schools or big city teams, so I don’t know.”
Oregon coach Jim Moore@@CE@@ said he worried the new rule could offset competitive balance within the intercollegiate ranks, increasing the divide between wealthy and poor institutions.
“I hate to pull a Chip Kelly@@CE@@ on anybody, but I didn’t get a vote,” Moore said. “It’s a done deal now, so whatever we think is irrelevant because it’s passed. I think there are a lot of issues that we haven’t completely thought our way through. Hopefully they don’t have any major impact, but for sure, (for) the schools with more money, it will be easier for them to do.”
Others, such as Duck libero Haley Jacob@@CE@@, reserved comment.

“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Jacob said. “I don’t really have much of an opinion.”
Freshmen progress report
While Liz Brenner@@CE@@ has cemented her role as a rotation player, Oregon’s four other freshmen have received only sporadic playing time. With the Pac-12 season winding down, Moore assessed the progress of the four first-year players who aren’t regulars in the Ducks’ normal playing rotation.
Chloe Buckendahl, outside hitter: 10 sets played@@CE@@
Moore: “Chloe was the first player off the bench at the beginning of the year. At Penn State, she was the first one we called on. And the hard part when you’re not in the lineup is to keep that focus, so she’s just going to have to make sure she keeps trying to get better all the time.”
Shellsy Ashen, setter: 57 sets played, 12 services aces (fifth on the team)@@CE@@
Moore: “(Shellsy has) struggled a little bit lately setting-wise, but everything else has gotten better. We’re scoring points when she serves, and she’s just a great kid, incredibly important to have on the team. She’s an outstanding backup setter, and when she gets through spring, she’s going to be a lot better come next fall.”
Savannah Paffen, middle blocker: 31 sets played, 24 kills (eighth on the team), 22 blocks (tied for sixth)@@CE@@
Moore: “Savannah has improved tremendously. She’s right there. Her hitting has progressed a lot. Her only issue is blocking. Her feet get there better than the other two middle (blockers on the team, but) she can’t get her hands over the net. She wants to put her hands straight up and it kills her blocking, but Savannah is going to be there. I have no qualms about putting her in at all.”
Natalie Bookout-Gonzalez, defensive specialist: 30 sets played@@CE@@
Moore: “Nat’s been great. We put her in against Colorado, and she’s done great. Her serving has to get dramatically better. It’s one of those things where, ‘I thought I had a good serve before I came here.’ Welcome to the Pac-12@@punctuation?@@. But she’s got to make it a point that she wants to be the one out there and not wait her turn.”
Oregon will return to action at 7 p.m. on Friday when they visit Arizona State@@CE@@.