The Ducks received an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament Sunday and will take on No. 6 Wisconsin in the first round of tournament play.
The Badgers went 26-4 this season, while Oregon only managed to go just 16-13. This means the Ducks must bring their A-game this Thursday if they want to make it past the first round.
Although Wisconsin has the clear advantage in this match, Pac-12 analyst Dain Blanton believes Oregon has a chance.
“I think they’re going to upset some people as they get into the tournament,” heBlanton said. “Their record may not reflect it right now, but Oregon’s a lot stronger than it looks on paper.”
One key to this better-than-it-looks team is Oregon’s libero Amanda Benson. The junior was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week this week thanks in part to a 5.50 digs-per-set average in Oregon’s final two matches. She was also named to the all-conference honorable mention list for the third consecutive year.
“She reads better than anybody,” said head coach Jim Moore. “She’s by far our most consistent player.”
Benson’s strong passing and digging have helped the front row tremendously this season, enabling double-digit kills for Martenne Bettendorf and Lindsey Vander Weide in nearly every match this season.
Vander Weide earned all-freshman and all-conference first team honors this week, and Bettendorf has maintained her status as an offensive weapon; she scored 13 kills in the senior night match over OSU. She and Vander Weide led the Ducks to a 3-0 win for the their final regular-season match.
Wisconsin plans to combat Oregon’s defense with help from setter Lauren Carlini, who was named Big Ten Conference Setter of the Week this week for the eighth time in her career. She surpassed 4,000 career assists in Wisconsin’s win over Purdue, and she will undoubtedly create problems for Oregon in the first round of the tournament.
Oregon’s goal for the match is to focus on the point at hand, and not get discouraged when it falls behind.
“Once you lose that focus, it’s really hard to regain it,” Moore said.
If the Ducks make it past the first round of the tournament, they will take on the winner of the Iowa State-Miami matchup.
Oregon’s first round match begins at 5:30 PT in Madison, Wisconsin.
Follow Madison Layton on Twitter @MadisonLayton01