There was only one moment that Matthew Knight Arena was dead silent.
As one of Oregon’s most accomplished players, Brooke Nuneviller, ran behind the service line, she spun the ball in her hand getting ready to serve. The ball got clipped at the top of the net and spun over for an ace.
Fans roared as they watched the magic of Nuneviller.
The night belonged to her. There wasn’t a spot on the floor that she didn’t cover, and she sacrificed her body multiple times to keep the rally going. Statistics only scratch the surface when it comes to Nuneviller’s impact Friday night, but with 13 kills, two service aces, and 11 digs, there wasn’t anything that the Lions could do to stop her.
“This group follows her [Nuneviller] lead,” head coach Matt Ulmer said. “I’m so proud of them for how much this win means to them.”
In the opening round of the NCAA tournament, the Ducks beat Loyola Marymount in three sets Friday.
The Lions started off the match with an ace, but that was their only lead during set one.
With Hannah Pukis behind the service line, she led the Ducks to a 6-0 scoring run, forcing Loyola Marymount to call a timeout.
Consecutive kills put the Lions back into the game, but not for long. Pukis and Daley McClellan went on serving runs, creating a nine-point lead.
Loyola Marymount started the game aggressively, but once Karson Bacon dumped the ball over the outside blocker’s hands, she showed that smart ball placement and high volleyball IQs win matches.
The Lions saved two match points before Nuneviller had a kill from the back row to end the first set. Oregon won 25-17.
Service errors got the best of both teams in the second set. There were 13 errors in the match, with most of them during set two. Oregon wasn’t offensively aggressive as they typically are. With only 22 kill attempts, the Ducks had to get creative.
Colby Neal built a wall that LMU couldn’t get past. She put the team on her back, and did everything that she could do to stay in the game. After a media timeout was called in the middle of the set, the Lions called two consecutive timeouts.
“LMU runs a really fast offense and runs the block a ton,” Ulmer said. “We needed Colby’s block presence and she delivered.”
The Lions continued to save match points. They added three more points to the board, making the score 22-24 before Ulmer called a timeout. As soon as the teams went back onto the court, Pukis blocked LMU’s kill to take a 2-0 lead.
The final match was competitive. With five tied scores and three lead changes, there was a consistent back-and-forth cycle until the middle of the set. LMU took a two point lead, showing bursts of momentum. The Ducks inched closer to tying the game, and after a kill by Mimi Colyer, Oregon was back on top.
LMU struggled to keep its kills inside the boundary lines. The Ducks took full advantage of it as they went on a 8-1 scoring run, and the Lions were forced to call their final timeout. Oregon held them to three points, and won the final set by 10.
“Playing at Matthew Knight Arena is a special experience,” Nuneviller said. “Playing at home is a massive advantage for our team.”
Oregon will face Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament Saturday. First serve will be at 7 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena, and will be available to watch on ESPN+.
