It began with a simple goal: to set an Oregon volleyball attendance record. Last summer, Oregon’s marketing department met with the Duck coaching staff to choose one home game for an all-out marketing blitz. After careful consideration, the two sides determined that Friday’s match with No. 4 California presented the best opportunity for a large crowd.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4287&SPID=234&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205309539&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
“When we looked at the volleyball schedule back in May and June, we noticed that this game coincided with the football game against Cal,” athletic department spokesperson Megan Robertson said. “That’s when it initially came out that we could package this as a deal and make it a ‘Beat Cal’ week since both (the football and volleyball) teams were playing Cal.”@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=megan+robertson@@

It seems the marketing folks made the right call. With three days until the volleyball team hits the Matthew Knight Arena court for its 7 p.m. duel with the Bears, Oregon has already unofficially accomplished what it set out to achieve.
“We’ve currently sold over 5,000 tickets,” Robertson said. “That’s not including any students, because the students can all get in for free with their student IDs, and that’s not including any football season-ticket-holders who take advantage of getting in for free with their ticket. We expect a lot more than our record, obviously.
“We expect to break it and actually demolish it.”
The old record was set in 2008, when 3,817 fans visited McArthur Court for a Pac-10 match with rival Washington.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=234&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1626518@@
The athletic department didn’t want to risk coming up short of that mark in 2011. Their marketing campaign has been wide-ranging, including online and radio initiatives. Even the Duck players have gotten involved.
“It’s super exciting for us,” freshman middle blocker Savannah Paffen said. “We’ve been handing out fliers and everything trying to get people to go. I think it’s really getting us pumped up for the game.”@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4285&SPID=234&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205157861&Q_SEASON=2011@@
The impact of a record crowd and heavy promotion could be felt well beyond Friday night. The marketing team hopes Duck fans enjoy the Oregon volleyball experience so much that they decide to return for additional games.
“Volleyball is not a sport that a lot of younger folks play,” Robertson said. “A lot of times it’s easier to target the younger generation with soccer and basketball because that’s what they generally play, where volleyball is a lesser-known sport. This idea is to get fans into the stadium and get them to experience this sport that they may not experience anywhere else.”
In the meantime, the team is gearing up for what should be an intense and emotion-filled evening.
“It’ll be big,” Oregon head coach Jim Moore said. “If we can leave these curtains (that enclose the upper bowl of Matthew Knight Arena) up, it will be really neat.”
Moore said he hopes the student turnout is especially high.
“Students are what makes it fun,” Moore said. “I would love it if we could get 4,000 students. They get to come for free and make the environment.”
Either way, the Duck players appreciate the additional exposure and fan interest.
“It’s exciting,” middle blocker Ariana Williams said. “I’m glad that we’re getting noticed more than last year. It’s really, really exciting. Even when we’re not playing Cal or whatever we still have a really good fan base.”
Ducks hold steady at No. 15
Oregon was ranked No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll for the third straight week. The Ducks were ranked behind fellow Pac-12 schools UCLA, Washington, Cal, USC and Stanford despite having a comparable record and resume.
Moore, for one, isn’t complaining.
“I don’t pay any attention to it,” Moore said. “I’m not going to lie and say we’ve never ever looked at it, but it means nothing. Until we prove otherwise, it means nothing.”