Volleyball

CORVALLIS — The scene was all-too perfect Friday night at Gill Coliseum.
Diana Blank and Kelly Russell’s block with Oregon leading 32-31 in the fourth set against Oregon State sent the Ducks into a frenzy on the court. Oregon gathered together on the outskirts of the Oregon State Beaver on center court, and celebrated the end of a 32-match losing streak in Pacific-10 Conference play.
The Ducks, with timely serving and clutch defense, defeated the Beavers in four sets (30-24, 27-30, 30-26, 33-31) in front of 2,278 hostile fans.
Russell led the Ducks (11-15 overall, 1-11 Pac-10) with 14 kills, while senior Lindsay Closs and sophomore Lauren Westendorf each had 13, but it wasn’t statistics that mattered most this night. It was a celebration of a victory, and a team coming together for a goal it had yet to reach this season.
“We have worked so hard, and we finally have gotten what we have worked so hard for in the past — I don’t even know how long,” freshman Jodi Bell said. “Words can’t even express right now.”
For senior Sydney Chute, the match represented one last chance to get a victory that has eluded her for two straight seasons. The win marked her third-career victory against the Beavers.
“For some of the girls on this team, this is their first Pac-10 win,” Chute said. “It feels awesome. We’ve worked so hard. (Oregon State) played great but we just stuck it out in the end, made some great digs, great blocks, and we won. We’re so excited.
“It’s been a long time so this is all the more sweeter. Especially since it’s OSU — Civil War — in front of television, and a great crowd.”
For Closs, Westendorf and sophomore Katie O’Neil, it is their first win in Pac-10 play since joining the Ducks prior to the 2001 season. Closs — a transfer — has won in conference play while with Fresno State, but for her fellow Oregon teammates, it is uncharted territory.
“Coach (Carl Ferreira) said he was proud of us, he said that he wouldn’t give it to a more deserving group of girls, and he said that we finally did everything we do in practice,” Westendorf said when asked about the team’s post-game speech. “This is what we’re like every day. We’ve had a hard time bringing it at seven, but we finally did today.”
The Ducks brought it to the tune of 64 kills, compared to Oregon State’s 65. Oregon had two more assists than the Beavers, 61-59, but Oregon State out-dug the Ducks, 70-69.
It was a balanced effort that pushed Oregon ahead. Freshman Dariam Acevedo had 11 kills and 20 digs, while junior Lindsay Murphy registered 15 digs. Bell had 36 assists to lead the team, while Chute pitched in with 16, and also had four vital kills, most of which broke Oregon State point-scoring runs.
Up 2-1 entering the final set, Oregon jumped out to a commanding 19-13 lead and looked to coast to the victory. However, Oregon State’s (7-14, 2-10) resiliency showed through.
The Beavers dominated the net for a 7-point run, broken by a Beaver serving error. Oregon then went up, 22-21, on Acevedo’s second service ace of the match.
The teams would trade points until tying at 30. Oregon State’s Karah Rhoades put the Beavers up one with a kill, but opened the door for Oregon with her third service error of the match.
Russell’s final kill of the match and her block with Blank gave the Ducks their first Pac-10 victory since Nov. 9, 2000.