This is the final stand.
The Oregon volleyball team is not going to back down — especially on its home floor.
Seniors Amy Banducci and Halie Mazza are not going to end their careers at McArthur Court with another disappointing weekend.
And the Ducks are not going to be satisfied with another season in the Pacific-10 Conference cellar.
“This is very important to us,” said Banducci, a four-year letter winner at Oregon. “It’s going to be sad and hard, but I’d like nothing more than to win my final games at Mac Court.”
In matches that could decide who finishes at the bottom of the Pac-10 standings, the Ducks (9-14 overall, 1-13 Pac-10) host Washington tonight and Washington State Friday. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.
“I think this is going to be a positive change in Oregon volleyball,” Mazza said of this weekend. “We’re just going to work as hard as we can. It would definitely be nice to end [home court play] with a win.”
Despite the team’s losing its last four conference matches, which were against the top four teams in the Pac-10, head coach Carl Ferreira is pleased with how his team has reacted.
“This group could’ve hung their heads and starting sulking a long time ago,” Ferreira said. “But our theme is to play hard today and prepare for tomorrow. And it’s great that we’re playing our best toward the latter part of the year.
“Find me another team in the country with only one conference win that is as passionate as we are. It’s just awesome.”
Washington (6-16, 1-13) picked up its only conference victory against the Ducks in Seattle Oct. 13. The Huskies have not, however, won a match since.
Junior hitter Allison Richardson and sophomore hitter Paige Benjamin have been leading the Huskies’ offensive attack. Richardson has averaged 4.33 kills and a .403 attack percentage in the last five matches. In last week’s 3-2 loss to Stanford, the duo combined for 45 kills.
While containing the Washington attack is key, Banducci said the Ducks are more focused on what’s happening on their side of the net.
“It’s important for us to maintain our ability to sustain a high level of play,” Banducci said. “We’ve had a great week of practice. We’ve been extremely competitive and have been working extremely hard.”
In the final home match of the season, Washington State (15-8, 6-8) heads into Mac Court looking to sweep Oregon for the ninth straight year.
The Cougars, a 3-0 winner in this year’s first meeting against the Ducks, are second in the Pac-10 with 18.41 kills per game, led by sophomore LaToya Harris. In the Cougars’ upset of No. 17 Stanford last week, Harris tallied 18 kills and 16 digs and three service aces en route to being named the Pac-10 player of the week.

Notes
On the year, Oregon is averaging just 13 kills per game, worst in the Pac-10. Washington is ninth with 15 kills per game.
Washington junior setter Britni Churnside, a Sheldon High School graduate, will be making her third homecoming appearance at Mac Court. With Churnside on the roster, the Huskies are 2-0 in Eugene.
No. 3 Arizona puts its undefeated road record on the line when it heads to Los Angeles to take on No. 6 USC. In the Pac-10 standings, the Wildcats sit one game ahead of the Women of Troy, who have yet to lose this year on their home court.