Playing to the level of the opponent has been a constant theme for the Oregon Ducks women’s volleyball team this season. The Ducks needed five sets to take down Arizona State and Colorado earlier this season, as well as their first match with USC.
The Trojans outplayed their 10-13 record once again, pushing the Ducks to five sets on Friday.
Taylor Borup’s absence factored into Oregon’s troubles.
With four girls at 6-foot-5 or taller, Oregon sports one of the nation’s best blocks. The Trojans found their soft spot, continuously skying balls slightly over the outstretched hands of Abby Hansen, Karson Bacon and Morgan Lewis.
Borup knows where to be to return her opponents’ attacks. That IQ has proved vital in the Ducks’ climb to No. 17 in the nation.
Without her, there was a void, and lineups needed changing.
“We sacrifice our passing without Taylor Borup,” Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller said. “She’s a six-year senior so her experience and presence are unmatched,”
Kiari Robey earned the most playing time she has all season, and Nuneviller stepped into an even bigger role.
“Kiari was scoring there in the first few sets and I thought she was great in the fifth set with a few kills,” head coach Matt Ulmer said. “She won Pac-12 freshman of the week and I can just see her confidence growing.”
Trailing 22-20, it looked almost certain the Ducks would concede the first set. They played sloppy, failing to execute their attacks. As the initial frame closed, Oregon had six attack errors and a hitting percentage of .132.
Despite the mistake-ridden start, the Ducks put together a five-point surge to win the first set. Nuneviller provided a kill as the anxious fans rose from their seats in anticipation of the set point.
She delivered once again.
The first set was ugly, as were the rest. Oregon struggled to find its footing finishing the match with a .254 hitting percentage.
Still, the Ducks shot out to a 2-0 lead. But sloppiness caught up to them as the Trojans mounted a comeback.
The Trojans controlled the third the whole way through, but the Ducks put together a late run, finding themselves with a chance to close out the match.
The Trojans wouldn’t let the lead slip their grasp, and they closed out the third set 28-26.
It grew dicier for the Pac-12 North leading Ducks as the Trojans claimed the fourth set as well.
The game script was epitomized by a play midway through the set. The Trojans’ attack was seemingly headed over the back-line of the Ducks’ defense. Both Becca Morse and Georgia Murphy attempted to return the ball, turning their bodies and altering their hand placement for the backward-facing dig.
Panic set in and the two miscommunicated. Their arms collided and the ball went awry.
Unexpectedly, the Ducks won the point. Nuneviller flew from her outside hitter position and hit the awkward pass over the net.
Time and time again, the All-American’s heroics lifted her squad.
Later in the set, she sprinted beyond the boundary to save another attack. Nuneviller contorted her body and put the ball back into play.
She led both teams with 25 kills.
“I thought Brooke was fantastic. Anytime we gave her an opportunity she put it away,” Ulmer said. “I loved her mindset out there.”
Heading into the final set, a sense of “Is-this-really-happening?” settled over the crowd. A feeling familiar to the one Ducks fans felt when their football team was upset by Stanford in October.
Oregon silenced the doubts and finished off the Trojans in the fifth set.
The Ducks improve to 19-6 on the season and turn their focus to Sunday’s match against UCLA at 12 p.m.
