As the first round of Pac-12 play wraps up, the Ducks beat the Utes in four sets Friday.

In the first set, Oregon’s kills sent a strong message to Utah. The Ducks had 19 kills to start the game, with Brooke Nuneviller taking the reins with seven kills. 

The momentum Oregon got from its hits carried into other areas. Gloria Mutiri and Kiara Robey had back-to-back blocks to take an eight point lead and force Utah’s first timeout. Elise Agi had back-to-back aces to extend their lead to 10 and another Utah timeout. The Ducks took set one 25-17.

“The ball was dropping for [Agi] tonight,” head coach Matt Ulmer said. “She set the tone for us in the first set.”

When the teams switched sides, the Ducks started off quiet. Utah took its first lead of the night early on at 2-1. Oregon started to galvanize after a save by Daley McClellan and a rally that came afterwards. 

The Utes stayed consistent, keeping the game within a one point margin. Towards the end of the match, the Ducks started to look like their typical, dominant, selves. Mimi Colyer, Robey and Nuneviller had well placed kills that Utah struggled to recover. The back row was agile, covering every spot on the floor. 

Robey and Mutiri ended the second set with a straight-down block, with a winning score of 25-20.

Oregon started the third set energized. The Ducks carried the momentum they gained toward the end of the second set into the beginning of the third one as they started out with a 4-0 lead.  

The Utes started to catch up, but weren’t able to grab the lead until the middle of the set at 13-12. As the set went on, the Ducks tied the game at 18. Utah bounced back to take a two point lead, and Oregon called its first timeout of the night. 

After the timeout, Oregon was able to add a few more points onto the board, but the timeout didn’t slow down Utah. Ulmer challenged an out of bounds call in an attempt to give the Ducks another point, but it didn’t work. Following a couple team errors, Ulmer called a second timeout.

A Utah service error came right after the timeout, and the Ducks were able to use that as a start to close the gap. After a long rally, Oregon brought the score within one point and the Utes called a timeout to try to slow them down. Their strategy worked and forced a fourth set. 

Both teams came out ready to compete in the fourth set. The score stayed close, with the biggest point difference being two.

Utah challenged a net violation call and won, but Oregon was able to bounce back. Colyer had a service ace to tie the game again. 

“[Colyer] has such a gift in that arm,” Ulmer said. “She can throw a fastball just as fast as anyone whether she is attacking or serving.”

The Ducks used the energy boost from the fans to take the biggest lead of the set. Utah continued their attempt to creep up on Oregon, but the Ducks kept adding points to the scoreboard. They took set four 25-20, and won the match. 

“This was a massive win for us,” Elise Ferreira said. “We really needed this win. We needed to establish ourselves.”

Oregon will finish up the first round of Pac-12 play on Oct. 23 against Colorado. The first serve will be hit at 12 p.m. and will be available to watch on Oregon Live Stream.