Fresh off a loss at No.7 Stanford, the Ducks are set to face another top 10 opponent on the road this weekend. They will travel North to face the Washington schools and cap off a four match road trip that has kept them away from Matthew Knight Arena since Oct. 3.
The Ducks will kickoff the weekend by facing the rival Washington Huskies in the Northwest Clash on Oct. 16. The Huskies are ranked fourth in the nation and enter the weekend as one of the top teams in the Pac-12.
No.25 Oregon
(9-6, 3-3 Pac-12)
Oregon watched a 23-20 lead in the second set evaporate in their match against Stanford. They ultimately ended up losing the set 25-23 and eventually lost the match 3-1.
Finishing out sets has been an Achilles heel for the Ducks so far this season and it is something they will need to shore up if they want to survive the hostile PAC-12 schedule.
“We’ve been playing not to lose, and you can’t do that,” Moore said.
Moore believes his team has let errors compound themselves and that missed opportunities have come back to haunt the Ducks late in games.
He also believes that if his team had closed out some crucial sets during matches earlier in the year, it would have given them the confidence to succeed in late-match situations — instead of surrendering leads as they did against Stanford.
“We could very-well be 14-1 — but we’re not. And we’re not dealing with it very well.”
Confidence will be key for Oregon if they want to get back on track versus Washington
No.4 Washington
(16-1, 6-1 Pac-12)
Washington has been dominant in nearly every facet of play thus far this year and they are one of the most accurate hitting teams in the nation.
Senior middle blocker Lianna Sybeldon leads the conference in hitting percentage at .482, and fellow Huskies Courtney Schwan and Melanie Wade rank third and fourth, respectively.
“They’re a very steady team; they just play,” Moore said. “Their mental mindset is really good…they have talent.”
One advantage that the Huskies will have over the Ducks on Friday is a home court advantage that is among the strongest in the nation.
A passionate student section combined with the experience of a Washington team that features five seniors and one junior will make the Huskies more than formidable on their home floor.
Moore believes that the environment of the match will be less of a factor than the veteran leadership of Washington will be.
“(The Washington crowd) has more people, but that’s not a big deal. We’ve dealt with that before,” Moore said. “They’re a very solid team and they don’t get rattled. And we’re a team team that has been getting rattled.”
Follow Jarrid Denney on Twitter @jdenney50