It’s rare that the No. 2 acrobatics and tumbling team in the country has had to come from behind in 2026.

Oregon (4-1) says it doesn’t watch the other team, but No. 4 Iona (2-2) had the lead before tumbling regardless. Then, the wins started to roll in. The Gaels dropped points, and the Ducks didn’t. It ended with a season-high open pass score from Briya Alvarado. Regardless of whether they watched or not, the Ducks combined Iona mistakes with a dearth of them on the home sideline, and emerged with a 268.105-265.210 win.

“I told the team right out of the gates, ‘We got the win, let’s be happy with that, but at the end of the day, we’ve had way too many times where we win the meet because the other team messes up, not because we executed,’” Oregon head coach Taylor Susnara said.

After four meets of more-than-adequate performance, Sunday was all about pushing the bar. A week ago, the Ducks dropped 2.20 points in compulsories. Against Iona, they lost just 1.750, courtesy a 9-plus tumbling score for the first time this season, 9.950 in toss and a 0.200–point improvement in acro.

A season of improvement for Oregon, though, came crashing down in six-element acro. In the heat, the Ducks had grown from a fall in their first meet and a low score in Week 2 to back-to-back 9.000-plus scores. Last week, Susnara went from calling it their “nemesis” to being “so happy” with the heat. 

Against Iona, Oregon’s left group included bases Ashlyn Parlett, Ashlee Wagner, Aubrey Edge and top Maya Khauv. The Ducks’ first skill never got up — Susnara said it was a “fluke” — and while the group recovered to execute the rest of the heat, their score dropped to a season-low 6.450 after originally being announced as 7.590.

“We kind of brushed that off, didn’t take it too much to heart with the score change,” Susnara said. “That was kind of aggressive, but it was more accurate to what we thought we might score.”

Cassidy Cu and Angelica Martin turned in a five-element 9.950 for the second time in as many weeks, and another in seven-element. The two sophomores with acrobatic gymnastics backgrounds have ascended in their second season, and the Ducks have leaned on the pair through their six-element journey.

“I think for Acro 5, (the feeling) was definitely the same, but in Acro 7 we’ve gotten some scores that I wasn’t necessarily the happiest about,” Martin said. “So obviously I was still happy, but today being able to get the 9.95, I was super excited, and I think in today’s meet, we executed it the best we had this season. Obviously, we still have some time to execute it better, but it was exciting to get that 9.95 today.”

Those near-perfect scores, though, wouldn’t extend a lead, but cut one. It meant the Ducks trailed by just 1.350 before the pyramid event.

Second halves inside Matthew Knight Arena have been about padding leads in 2026. Against Iona, it would be about taking one. Oregon’s toss event had multiple sub-10.0 start totals and they couldn’t capitalize on the easier skills. Instead, they posted two 9.100-or-lower scores while the Gaels pushed further ahead with a 9.750 in open toss.

It didn’t shake the Ducks.

“I have confidence, no matter what,” tumbler Briya Alvarado said. “Even if the score is lower (before tumbling), like today, I still don’t feel the pressure in any type of way. I know that we are capable. I know that we practiced this before, we competed many times before, with confidence, and it can be incredible, no matter if it’s duo, trio, anything. 

“I have trust in these girls no matter what, and for me, that’s how it felt today. You know, of course, it’s like, ‘Okay, it’s tumbling, let’s pick it up,’ but it feels the same. Even if we had a higher score, it still feels the exact same,” Alvarado said.

It looked the same, too. Tumbling has been where Oregon makes its name. On Sunday, it landed there with a 1.850-point deficit, and turned the meet over to its deepest group. Carly Garcia and Sophia Wing wound across the mat together: 9.450. The Gaels cracked the door with a 7.700 from a 9.750 start value in trio stemming from a mis-executed pass. Keira Ewing and Reily Beauchmin both slipped on their landings in quad and scored 5.900 — the door swung wide open.

“We always say what the other team does does not affect us,” Wing said. “I think that, being in duo, we set the tone for our team for tumbling event, and I never watch the other team, but I think really that we know what we’re capable of.”

Nya Womack’s four whips bounded across the floor, echoed by her team’s shouts: “ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR.”

9.675.

Morgan Willingham, a week removed from a career-high 9.950 against Gannon, got huge air.

9.800.

Briya Alvarado, after too much power took her off the mat earlier in the season, stayed well on with a big smile. She’s telling herself to “squeeze” midair as she whips across the mat.

9.900.

“I think in tumbling event, a lot of those people for us are high competitors and they do very consistent things in practice,” Susnara said. “And so, it’s just trying to mold the rest of the team into that and it’s always a work in progress.”

It’s what the Ducks needed. That 1.850-point deficit became a 3.025-point lead. Iona’s Riley Beauchmin stepped off the mat in team, then her teammate, Julienne Templeman fell on her tumbling pass. Oregon’s go didn’t one-up in the season-high from last week — it was an event loss — but it was enough.

Oregon travels to face No. 13 Hawaii Pacific University on March 25.