A normal dig from Georgia Murphy is one that can lead to beautiful things.
In this case, a hit from the left side recovered by the libero pushed Hannah Pukis to set up Mimi Colyer for the back row kill. One where it felt like she jumped 10 feet from her original spot to land the kill.
That would be one of 20 kills from Colyer tonight.
But unfortunately for the Ducks, it takes more than that to win — especially at the level that Oregon was playing in the Elite Eight against No. 1 Wisconsin. In the final game of the season, the No. 2 Ducks were knocked out by the Badgers 3-1 (22-25, 22-25, 27-25, 18-25).
“I’m really proud of our group,” head coach Matt Ulmer said. “I thought we battled really, really hard and we left everything we had out there.”
Right from the start, Wisconsin set the tone. By going on a 4-0 run early, it forced an Oregon timeout. But, a pair of aces from Daley McClellan would lead the Ducks on their own four-point scoring run and put them right back in the game within two at 13-15.
Occasionally, the Ducks would pull within one as the set was winding down, but the Badgers would find a rhythm that would give them a comfortable enough lead and force another Oregon timeout. Within the final points of the set, the teams started to trade two points until it was time for match point.
Ahead of the final serve of the set, Oregon was only able to cut the deficit by adding one more point to its column, leading to a Badger 1-0 lead and handing the Ducks their first set loss of the tournament.
Again, the Badgers were able to get ahead early with six consecutive points to put themselves back in the lead of the second set at 9-8. In the race to halfway point, Morgan Lewis registered her seventh kill of the match to tie it at 14 which eventually turned into a lead at 19-18.
The set would stay close for the remaining points with another tie at 22, but Wisconsin added two more quick points for match point, which would come right after.
Being down 0-2, is not familiar territory for Oregon. Its last loss was exactly a month ago against Stanford. Since then, the Ducks haven’t lost a game and only gave away four sets in the process.
Instead of starting the third in a way that the other two were, Gabby Gonzales kicked it off with an ace. That would later turn into an early four-point lead after Pukis recovered an overpassed ball to set up the kill.
“We really fought,” Pukis said. “We kept attacking, kept working together and eventually it started clicking.”
Something that Oregon has been consistent with all season has been challenges. With the challenge card, Ulmer was successful with all four attempts. On his last time showing the card in this match, it furthered the Ducks’ lead to five, one of the largest of the game.
But, Wisconsin is ranked No. 1 for a reason. The Badgers quickly put themselves back in the game, cutting the scoring difference to two, forcing an Oregon timeout.
With the game on the line, the Ducks never backed down. Karson Bacon registered her sixth kill of the night to give Oregon a three point lead at 22-19. It was a fight until the very end because the Badgers would use any opportunity to score, forcing the set to go into extra points. But, as the team has said all season, when they play Oregon volleyball, they’re unstoppable. The Ducks were able to pull out set three 27-25 to avoid the sweep.
“We really started to play Oregon volleyball,” Colyer said. “That’s the difference.”
Early in the final set, Colyer recorded her 1,000th kill of her career as a sophomore — a benchmark that most hitters don’t reach at all.
After that point though, Oregon couldn’t find a way to score. After the Badgers went on a 4-0 scoring run and gained a four-point lead at 12-8, Ulmer called a timeout. When both teams returned, Wisconsin extended its run to seven consecutive points, keeping the Ducks below 10 as the Badgers were arriving at the halfway point.
The Ducks were able to string points together, but they couldn’t catch up. Wisconsin created a lead for itself and ran with it until the very end.
Oregon was faced with a brutal task: defeating a No. 1 seed that hadn’t lost at home all season. It was a test that would require perfection. The Ducks finished their season elite, but Wisconsin’s blockers and its kill accuracy led to another Badgers’ win at home.
Wisconsin is a train. Oregon got caught on the tracks as its incredible season came to an end.
“I’m so thankful for our sport. I’m so happy that it exists,” Ulmer said while shaking his head. “But, we have to win those close sets in the beginning. Wisconsin was just better.”
