The challenge sounds easy enough – replace a culture dominated by losing and mediocrity with an environment where success is expected.
Except when it comes to the Oregon volleyball program, consistently a Pacific-10 Conference afterthought, change takes time and effort. Coach Jim Moore, in his second year in Eugene, wants to raise expectations and have his players expecting to win, not lose.
He brought back a core of six players from the 2005-06 team and combined them six freshmen and a junior transfer to make up this year’s Oregon volleyball team. So far, the mixture is working with an undefeated start – 7-0 – through Sept. 11.
Oregon also started last season with a flourish, only to go 1-17 in the Pac-10 – good for last place. The true test of Oregon’s turnaround begins Thursday when the Ducks open Pac-10 play and host UCLA.
“The reality is we need to win,” Moore said. “This program needs to win in order for them to believe.”
Oregon is receiving a boost from an incoming freshman class headlined by 6-foot-1 middle blocker Sonja Newcombe. Along with middle blocker Neticia Enesi and Nevena Djordjevic, Oregon is beginning to attract elite recruits other top programs
would want.
Already the trio’s impact is noticeable.
Newcombe has 75 kills – third on the team. Enesi’s contributions are more subtle with 17 digs, 50 kills and seven service aces. Djordjevic leads the team with 181 assists through Sept. 11.
“Obviously people know our past, but we’re not talking about that anymore,” senior setter Heather Madison said. “This is a new season. We’re trying to accomplish this – here – changing the losing mentality … and we need freshmen like that. We need their energy and confidence in winning.”
Enesi made her presence felt against Long Beach State with an understated performance. She had nine kills and three digs in the upset of then-No. 17 Long Beach State.
Newcombe came with the acclaim. Enesi is making her name known, Moore said.
“Sonja has played more all-around,” Moore said. “She’s done more things. She’s been where she is. Sonja is a little more comfortable than Neticia is but that kid is going to be so good in the long run.”
Contrasts between last season and this season are prevalent.
Oregon had to stave off sluggishness following the high of beating Long Beach State in the Ducks next match against Northridge.
“You have to learn how to deal with that,” Moore said. “We don’t know what it’s like to be the front-runner so to speak.”
The six returnees – Kristen Bitter, Karen Waddington, Katie Swoboda, Erin Little, Mira Djuric and Heather Madison – find themselves with newfound depth on the roster. Unlike last y ear, competition is developing for playing time, most noticeably at setter. Madison is joined by freshman setters Djordjevic and Lindsey Stone.
“Anyone he puts in will do a great job,” Madison said. “It’s good to have them to push me and we push each other.”
Other positions, namely outside hitter, still have just enough players.
Moore had hoped to have outside hitter Gorana Maricic, a junior transfer from Northwood University, in his rotation. The Division II school in Michigan declined to grant Maricic a one-time transfer release and she is going to redshirt this season.
Returning outside hitter Mira Djuric, a sophomore with a powerful serve, is the team’s centerpiece following the 2005 season when she led Oregon in kills. She showed a more potent and accurate serve in the California matches and a stronger overall game.
“She’ll lapse every once and a while,” Moore said. “She’ll get mad and she’ll hit a ball real hard out of bounds. She’s made huge strides and now she knows. She’ll hit a ball out and she’s like, “I know.’”
Of course, it also makes a difference when Oregon’s fellow hitters are effective and draw an opponent’s attention.
“It helps Mira out when some of the rest of us can put some balls down and then that just lets her unleash and there’s nothing she wants more to unleash on every ball,” Bitter said.
Sophomore libero Katie Swoboda came close to setting Oregon’s dig record last season and has Moore proclaiming her as one of the best defensive players in the country. She finished with 448 digs last season.
Outside hitter Erin Little had 154 kills last season and already has reached 100. Moore pointed to her Long Beach State performance, where had 17 kills, as one of the best of her career.
The returning players, tired of Oregon’s past disappointments, are helping assimilate the Ducks new players in hopes this can be the year they enjoy Pac-10 success and earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
“It’s been nice,” Newcombe said. “The upperclassmen have really helped make that transition easy there. (They’re) very eager to lend a helping hand or hints here and they’ve just been really helpful so that’s made it really easy.”
Moore looks over his roster and notices the difference in his second year in Eugene.
“We said last year we had the physical ability – now we have the character,” he said.