Alanah Clemente has had a season hard to beat for her first year in college. Since arriving at Oregon, she has been dominant on the court, and the past week proved it, when she led both teams in kills for the ninth time this season. As of the Ducks’ loss to Michigan on Nov. 22, in kills alone, Clemente ranked No. 7 in the Big Ten with 378 and also led in service aces with 47 and service aces per set with 0.47. The Daily Emerald has selected her as its Oregon volleyball athlete of the season.

With two Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, Clemente is getting national recognition for her skills on the court. Oregon went undefeated in its first three matches, where Clemente made an immediate impact in Oregon’s season-opening weekend at the EVEN Hotel Bobcat invite in Bozeman, Mont.

The freshman put down 29 kills while hitting .684 over three matches, helping the Ducks sweep South Dakota, Montana State and Prairie View A&M. Clemente recorded double-digit kills in two matches that added fire off the bench.

“I mean, she’s that good,” Kersten said post-match after Oregon’s first home game. “She does that every single day in the gym. The fact that she’s done it four games in a row is not an accident. She’ll be in the gym an hour before practice working on her toss and her serve… that’s who she is.”

Just two weeks ago, Clemente set her career record of 25 kills in Oregon’s five-set win against then No. 9 Purdue. In that thrilling upset match on the road for the Ducks, Clemente led all players with a match-high 25 kills while hitting .340 and averaging 4.94 points per set against the home Boilermakers. She added seven digs, three blocks and two aces including a key service winner down the stretch of the fifth set.

“Just coming into this, I didn’t really think that I’d be a big impact, because all these girls are just so amazing,” Clemente said in her season preview. “So I wasn’t really going into this thinking like, oh, ‘I’m going to be this top player.’ I was going into this thinking, ‘I just want to get better for future things.’”

That following Wednesday, against then No. 16 USC, Clemente came just one short of tying her career record in kills, with 24 to reach at least 20 for the third time in the last four matches.

“She’s really good, and she’s not even close to where she’s gonna be next year, and I’m so excited for it,” Kersten said post match of Clemente. “Her development and for her to have experience and for her to go through this, what a cool opportunity for her to make this splash in the Big Ten.”

On Saturday, against Michigan, Clemente put up the most kills total between the two teams with 23 on the night, including nine in the first set.

Oregon and Clemente wrapped up their regular season against Maryland on Nov. 28, and likely won’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament in their first year under Kersten. Clemente, though, looks to anchor the Ducks’ rebuild for the future.