The possibilities might be endless.

No. 2 Oregon acrobatics and tumbling (4-1) travels to face No. 13 Hawaii Pacific University (2-1) in midweek. It’s the Ducks’ second-to-last meet of the regular season, which means that it’s their second-to-last chance to put together the complete meet that hasn’t seen the mat yet. After a comeback win over Iona University was fueled by some stunning acro work from Cassidy Cu and Angelica Martin and clutch tumbling passes, this week (against a lower-ranked team) is the last chance to string six strong events together without the maximum pressure on.

Doing it when the stakes are ratcheted up is, of course, when it counts. Doing it at all, though, is the first step. That type of win won’t boost the Ducks’ seeding past No. 2, nor will it ensure they can do it next month in Azusa, California at the NCATA National Championship. It’ll just show that it’s more than possible — it’s achievable.

Right now, possible is all it is, and while postseason possibilities can win meets, national titles are secured with certainty.

The Sharks might be fish food

Hawaii Pacific started the season ranked in the coaches’ poll, but the Sharks haven’t done much to back up that position. Since a season-opening loss to No. 10 Azusa Pacific University where they turned in a trio of 9.000-plus solo tumbling passes, they’ve beaten Kutztown University despite two 7.40-or-less acro heat scores and a 7.700 in synchronized toss, and took a tri-meet win over Caldwell University and Long Island University to advance to 2-1.

But they haven’t been improving on the scoresheet. While points aren’t everything in a sport where different judges can have a degree of variance in scoring, their team event score has dropped in each meet, from 85.840 against Azusa Pacific to 84.730 against Kutztown and 78.880 in the tri-meet. That’s not what a team looking to climb from a preseason spot outside the postseason into National Championship qualification needs — and it’s a sign that (unless they turn it around), they’re not a postseason-level challenge for the Ducks.

There’s potential, especially in a tumbling event that has buoyed their meets with high solo pass scores and a pyramid event averaging 28.65 points, but it’s likely not enough to challenge Oregon without some significant help. Last week, Iona pounced on the Ducks’ six-element acro fall with consistently high scores. Pyramid could do that for the Sharks should Oregon struggle early on, but it’s difficult to see a path to victory through low scores in other heats and a downward-trending team event.

Six-element acro is back on the discussion table

It was too early, apparently, to move away from six-element acro. The Ducks struggled again with the heat against Iona on their way to a 6.450 score. Head coach Taylor Susnara said it was a fluke, and Oregon has shown an ability to bounce back from issues in the heat throughout this season, but it hampered an acro event that was otherwise off-the-charts and kept the meet close through four events.

The question isn’t about whether or not Oregon can execute in the heat anymore — that was proven with its 9.700 score against Gannon. It’s about whether the Ducks can put it together in pressure moments.

That’s not necessarily what Wednesday’s meet is; the Sharks started the season ranked No. 13, but have crossed the 251-point threshold just once in three meets and lost their only ranked meet to Azusa Pacific. Upsets are always on the table, but the heat in Hawaii is less about a make-or-break first-half scoring opportunity than restabilizing the Ducks’ least-stable heat.

The post-meet discussion about the heat last week circled around changes made before the Iona meet (not many, just Maya Khauv and Aubrey Edge’s walk in pop around sequence), how the Ducks didn’t take it to heart, and the adjusted lower score that Susnara felt was more accurate to their performance.

The buzzwords — consistency, execution and energy — are what Oregon is looking for in a heat where stability is king.

This one is about the Ducks

In all likelihood, a win over the preseason No. 13 team won’t define the Ducks’ postseason seeding. While a loss could drop them lower in the bracket, upsets aren’t something that they’ve had a proclivity for under Susnara, and it almost certainly wouldn’t drop them out.

This meet is about the Ducks. It’s a meet they should win, not let the other side lose, like Susnara said happened against Iona. It’s a meet they’re well-rested for, in a series they lead 12-1 all-time. If last week was a chance to reframe what the season’s height could be, this week is about rebuilding it.

Again, the Ducks didn’t lose to the Gaels. But they didn’t drive the bus in the way they’re used to, or in the way they’ve typically done against Hawaii Pacific. This one is about Oregon’s best, but that’s been proven. Really, it’s about their worst: what does that six-element acro look like? Is team event a hit this week? They can lean on tumbling, or on pyramid, and win — that’s been proven.

This one isn’t about Hawaii Pacific, or even about No. 1 Baylor. It’s about the Ducks, about defining the limits of endless possibility, and whether they extend far enough to win a national title.

Oregon faces Hawaii Pacific on March 24 at 9 p.m PT., in Honolulu, Hawaii. The meet will be broadcast on PacWest Network.