The Oregon volleyball team began its season on Friday, defeating the Portland State Vikings three sets to none. The Ducks picked up right where they left off after a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2020.
The Ducks began to pull away in the first set, with Kylie Robinson taking over serving duties. Robinson provided three hard-hit serves that sent the Vikings into a frenzy of errors, giving the Ducks a 9-4 advantage before the first timeout.
The Vikings won the next point coming out of the first timeout. But the Ducks responded with an impressive surge, highlighted by Brooke Nuneviller diving for a dig in the right corner. Nuneviller’s dig assisted the kill from Taylor Borup, making the score 14-8.
Nuneviller showed early signs of what Ducks fans expect to be a historic season for the junior. Last year she was named to the All-Conference team and hopes to replicate that success, as well as compete for national recognition.
The Ducks ended the first set on an 11-1 run with Georgia Murphy providing an ace to finish off the set 25-9.
In the second set, Robinson continued to cause Portland State trouble with her serves and sets. She forced the Vikings into three straight errors, followed up by a kill assist to Gloria Mutiri.
Portland State began to show some signs of life, tying the second set at 13. After the Vikings’ run, head coach Matt Ulmer returned to his magic formula, subbing in Robinson and Mutiri. Robinson provided two aces, giving her four on the game, as the Ducks went on a seven-point run and took a 20-13 lead.
The trio of Robinson, Mutiri and Nuneviller continued to lead the way. Mutiri and Nuneviller provided three kills toward the end of the second set, with Robinson contributing the winning assist to Annie Statdhaus’ first kill. Oregon won the second set 25-16, taking a 2-0 set lead.
Heading into the third set, the Ducks looked to close the door on the Vikings and earn their first victory. This theme continued as Portland State challenged the Ducks through the preliminary stages of the set.
Robinson’s passing posed a threat to the Vikings defense throughout the match. Back-to-back assists from the redshirt sophomore gave the Ducks a 15-10 lead going into a timeout.
The Ducks continued to dominate in the third set, with two aces from Borup setting up the match point. Ulmer rewarded Robinson and Mutiri, subbing the pair in for the final point; Robinson provided the game-winning assist to Abby Hansen’s kill.
The Ducks’ 3-0 sweep was highlighted by Nuneviller’s team-high eight kills. The combination of Robinson and Mutiri dominated the Vikings’ defense. Robinson recorded 17 assists.
The Ducks are now 1-0 and will face Santa Clara later Friday night at 6 p.m.
