After two tough losses to UCLA and USC, No. 23 Oregon volleyball responded with a back-t0-back wins at Utah and Colorado.
The Ducks rounded out their two-state road trip in a four-set win in Boulder, Colorado, on Saturday.
Oregon (14-5, 7-3 Pac-12) jumped on Colorado (12-8, 4-6 Pac-12) early, taking the first set with ease. The Buffs rallied to tie the match at one set a piece at intermission. Following the break, the Ducks’ Lauren Page prevailed in offense and in defense, recording her first double-double with 12 blocks and 12 kills. She also recorded a career-high .667 hitting percentage. Overall, Oregon hit at .247 percent during the match, along with 17 blocks, especially thanks Page’s stellar performance.
The visitors dominated the first set. Freshman Jolie Rasmussen and sophomore Lindsey Vander Weide led the team in kills after the first frame, with Vander Weide ending the match with 12 kills and 15 digs. Junior Taylor Agost also had a strong first set. The Ducks commanded the entire first set to win 25-14.
The second set told a different story. Oregon committed eight errors compared to two errors in the first set. Even with six digs from Amanda Benson and an additional three blocks from Page, Oregon lost its urgency and composure from the first set and ultimately lost the set 25-21.
At intermission, with both teams tied, Oregon needed to come out with energy to put away the match.
The third set proved to be difficult for the Ducks like the second, but Oregon changed the story and narrowly took the set 25-22. In the third set, Page emerged as the player of the night.
The fourth set was again close, but the Ducks performed better and held on late in the set to win 25-21. The win helps Oregon’s case to improve in the standings as the Ducks improve to 7-3 in Pac-12 play.
Oregon’s win gives the team two wins in a row. The Ducks last week dropped consecutive games to the Los Angeles schools.
The Ducks will once again return home to play at Matthew Knight Arena against Arizona on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. and again against Arizona State in an early match on Sunday Oct. 30 at 11 a.m.
Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow