The Ducks are struggling. What was made to be another successful season has not come to fruition, and the underclassmen-laiden roster simply isn’t ready. They haven’t won back to back games since the first two of the year in the Oregon Classic and have dropped eight of their last 10, getting swept in many.
To their credit, not once have they stopped fighting though, even tonight with the season all but over and their backs against the wall, they showed up and competed. But just like far too many other matches this year, it simply wasn’t enough.
The Ducks fell to Arizona State in a close five set match, losing 2-3.
“I thought we played really well,” head coach Matt Ulmer said. “I think we did well enough to be victorious but we weren’t. It’s just very frustrating for us.”
Karson Bacon and Ronika Stone got the Ducks off to a hot start with a couple of key kills, helping Oregon keep the game close.
As Arizona started to pull away Oregon called a timeout at 9-6, disrupting the Sun Devils’ momentum. Two aces in a row by Abby Hansen pulled the game to 11-10.
A block by Hansen and a kill by Stone tied it up at 17-17, but the Ducks failed to take the lead, the Sun Devils would win seven of the next eight points before taking the set 25-19.
Oregon came out with renewed energy in the second set. They took the lead in the early minutes, Brooke Nuneviller had two kills bringing the score 5-3. From there the Ducks gained some momentum with crucial attacks helping them to hold their lead for the first time all game but the Sun Devils never fell far behind.
Arizona tied it up at 8-8 and took the lead, but Oregon trailed close behind, tying it up again at 12-12 with an ace from Bea Wetton and a kill by Willow Johnson.
ASU kept a solid lead but Oregon crept back up, an ace from Georgia Murphy pulling the score to 21-23, the Ducks trailing close behind. Kills by Nuneviller and Stone brought the score to 23-24.
A kill from Nuneviller pulled the teams into another tie at 24-24 and after ASU scored again a block by Stone tied it up again at 25 all. After an ASU attack error the arena erupted as Stone won the set for the Ducks with a powerful kill, Oregon winning the second set 27-25.
The Ducks pulled ahead in the third set, but the Sun Devils tied it up at 12-12. Arizona pulled ahead at 14-13 for the first time in the set with a three point scoring run.
Arizona pulled ahead in the second half of the third set holding a lead over the Ducks but Oregon came back and tied it up 21-21.
The teams were fighting for every point, Arizona tied it up again at 24-24 and 25-25 but another set winning kill by Stone handed Oregon the third set, 27-25.
Oregon kept the fourth set close but struggled to take the lead. ASU pulled away at 18-13 and the Ducks could not recover. The Ducks crept back up in the final points of the set, a kill by Stone pulled the score to 22-24, but the Sun Devils won the set 25-22, sending the teams into a fifth set.
During a nail biting fifth set, Bacon stepped it up contributing some crucial blocks. Bacon had 13 total blocks last weekend against the Washington schools and entered the game ranked 10th in the Pac-12 with 1.00 blocks per set. She totalled seven blocks and 12 kills against Arizona State.
“Karson Bacon had a wonderful, wonderful match,” Ulmer said. “That’s really important for us and for her. She’s becoming a big time player and that’s really encouraging to see.”
The fifth set was anyone’s game. Both teams fought for each point, neither taking a significant lead. Arizona State won the set 18-16 and the match 3-2.
“We’ve been close so many times but we just can’t seem to find that way through,” the head coach said. “We never give up. We’re always fighting no matter what’s going on. This group always gives everything they have and I think that’s a beautiful thing”
Oregon’s season is winding down with only four matches remaining. Next they head down to Southern California to play UCLA and USC.
