Oregon volleyball defeated the No. 19 UCLA Bruins on Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena three sets to zero. With the win, Oregon tied up the season series after falling short on Friday.
Unlike Friday’s match, Oregon was determined to prevent early deficits. The two squads traded points throughout the entirety of the first set, and blocker Abby Hansen provided a motivational spark, adding two early kills and two vital blocks that helped the Ducks gain a small edge.
On the back of Hansen’s play, the Ducks built the biggest lead of a very tight first set at 23-19, forcing UCLA to burn their first timeout. After the break, the Bruins came roaring back, and a kill by Allison Jacobs tied the game at 23. But the Ducks responded and an error by Emily Ryan saw the Ducks take the first set 25-23.
The second set mirrored the first with back-and-forth action. The Ducks benefited from quality bench play, as Gloria Mutiri subbed in and contributed three kills. UCLA answered with a ferocious hit from Sabrina Smith, forcing an Oregon timeout and bringing the score to 15-13 Bruins. The regroup was beneficial as the Ducks came out on a 6-2 run, recapturing the lead 19-17.
The Ducks didn’t look back as they controlled the rest of the second set. The closeout hit came from Taylor Borup for her ninth kill of the match and a team-high thus far. 2-0 Ducks.
“Taylor Borup’s performance was huge, she came through when we needed it,” Head coach Matt Ulmer said.
The Ducks looked to complete the shutout as the third set began. Hansen continued her impressive performance, hitting the ball just inside the line and stunning the Bruins outside hitters. 11-7 Ducks.
Oregon extended the margin as Mutiri subbed back into the game. She was a spark plug once again with four kills throughout the set, giving the Ducks a 21-15 lead. Brooke Nuneviller provided the final dagger, a kill right through the heart of the UCLA defense.
“I thought tonight [Mutiri] was great on offense and she went up against Mac May and held her own on both offense and defense,” Ulmer said.
The Ducks completed the shutout on the back of a collective effort. The return of Hansen, along with the depth provided by Mutiri and the steady play of Nuneviller was too much for the Bruins to handle. Mutiri and Nuneviller led the Ducks with 11 kills each.
Oregon volleyball will continue their season against USC on Friday at 6 p.m. in Matthew Knight Arena.
