Every time No. 11 Oregon (14-3, 6-2 Big Ten) has dropped a match this season, it has responded with a convincing victory. Sunday’s trip to Iowa (9-11, 3-5 Big Ten) was no different, as Oregon left Iowa City with a 3-1 win.
The Ducks entered the match off a four-set loss at No. 9 Wisconsin on Friday. Oregon began Big Ten play on an 11-match winning streak but dropped two of its last four against ranked opponents. A date with the Hawkeyes provided the opportunity to avoid the first losing streak of the season.
The Ducks didn’t disappoint.
Mimi Colyer and Onye Ofoegbu set the tone with a block assist to secure the first point. Oregon never let off the gas in the opening set which ended in a resounding 25-17 victory.
Iowa tallied nine early attack errors in the match. While the Ducks recorded half of that total, they still racked up four service errors.
These errors and the power of the Hawkeyes’ hitting led to an 8-2 start in the second set for Iowa. Oregon responded with a 5-0 scoring run coming out of a timeout but Iowa once again began to run up the score.
Colyer led the way on the second 5-0 run of the set, recording two kills and a service ace in the process. It wasn’t enough, as the Hawkeyes closed Set 2 with four consecutive points to win 25-18.
The Ducks resembled the dominant team they looked like in Set 1 to open the third. Big swings from Colyer and Michelle Ohwobete gave Oregon the advantage.
Ohwobete finished the match with 13 kills, while Colyer had 16 kills and seven digs. Setter Cristin Cline totaled 45 assists — her fourth straight match with 40 or more.
Oregon had Iowa scrambling throughout Set 3 to receive perfectly placed hits and it eventually paid off. Noemie Glover elevated to slap the ball to the hardwood at set point. The Ducks snagged the third set 25-14 and their messy, inconsistent Set 2 was in the rearview mirror.
Oregon’s front row paved the way for a 25-15 Set 4 win. Middle blocker Mia Tvrdy tallied a solo block early in the fourth — one of her six blocks of the day.
But it was Tvrdy’s two-handed kill that delivered the Ducks the victory.
After the early errors, Oregon ended with 10 service aces — its highest total of conference action. The Ducks hit .328 percent as a team while forcing 20 Iowa attack errors.
Oregon returns to Matthew Knight Arena to begin a two-match homestand. It’ll get a break from top-25 opponents with its next four matches against teams in the bottom half of the conference standings. The Ducks will face Maryland on Friday, with the first serve expected for 6 p.m.