The last NCATA program to start its season, Hawaii Pacific University, springs into action in Week 3. The Sharks, though, are the third-best meet on offer in a week where two top-10 matchups outside of Eugene should dominate the headlines. No. 7 Duquesne University travels to face No. 9 Gannon in a rematch of last season’s stunning upset, while No. 1 Baylor University prepares for No. 2 Oregon with a home meet against No. 8 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Oregon hosts No. 3 Quinnipiac University in the third top-10 meet of the week — The Daily Emerald has a trading-questions preview of that here — but Duquesne-Gannon (Friday) and Baylor-UMHB (Sunday) bookend the Ducks’ big matchup.

No. 7 Duquesne University at No. 9 Gannon University (Feb. 20, 4 p.m. PT, Erie, Pennsylvania)

Outside of a late March meet against Baylor, the next two weeks are Duquesne’s (1-0) best shot at a defining win this season. The Dukes face No. 10 Azusa Pacific at home March 4, and No. 9 Gannon. The Knights (0-1) dropped their season opener to Quinnipiac by a relatively wide margin (18.715 points), didn’t score higher than 9.15 in the acro event and added multiple sub-8-point scores in tumbling.

In this top-10 matchup on Friday night, it’s all about momentum. Duquesne, a second-year program, went 4-3 in its first season — which included an upset of then-No. 3 Gannon in its first-ever meet. The Dukes turned that win into a record over .500, but did go without a ranked victory in the rest of their inaugural season. Gannon, meanwhile, spiraled after the season opening loss and (outside of an unranked tri-meet where its opponents didn’t top 200 points) won just one more meet in 2025.

They’re meeting again early in the year. Gannon has a stacked schedule (again) that also includes Oregon, Baylor, UMHB and No. 6 Fairmont State back-to-back in four of their last five meets. For the Knights, this one is a chance to get back on track before two unranked matchups lead into that gauntlet. They’ll be at home, against a team that posted a strong-but-not-unbeatable 255.130 points in its first meet. Keep an eye on these two as possible entries into the postseason — but that road has to start here.

No. 1 Baylor University vs No. 8 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Feb. 22, 1 p.m. PT, Waco, Texas)

UMHB (1-0) is the No. 8 team in the nation as a Division III program. They’re running into No. 1 Baylor (2-0), though, and it’s a tall task. The Cru’s win came over East Texas Baptist University — they posted 246.685 points in that victory — but the Bears are averaging 280.395 in a pair of ranked wins over No. 11 Saint Leo University and No. 10 Azusa Pacific University. To take a win, UMHB would likely have to near that number in an away meet in Waco, Texas.

A win for the Cru would be their first all-time against Baylor, in a series where they’re 0-6. For the Bears, Sunday’s meet is ostensibly another tune-up before they welcome No. 2 Oregon to Waco next weekend, plus another chance to integrate reigning NCATA Division I Freshman of the Week Mo Arthur into the lineup. Arthur was a part of the Bears’ 10.0 compulsory toss score last week, and has won both of the NCATA’s weekly awards in the category this season. Baylor top/tumbler Payton Washington has both Athlete of the Week awards so far, too.

Around the NCATA

There’s one more ranked matchup to watch in a week where every top-15 team but Augustana University is in action. That meet, where No. 10 Azusa Pacific (0-1) travels to face No. 13 Hawaii Pacific (0-0), is scheduled for Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. PT.

In ranked-unranked matchups, No. 4 Iona (1-0) faces Morgan State on Feb. 21, No. 6 Fairmont State (3-0) has a joint meet against Frostburg State and Wheeling University on Feb. 22, No. 11 Saint Leo (1-1) hosts Presbyterian College on Feb. 22, No. 12 Glenville State (2-0) has a joint meet against Kutztown University and West Virginia State University on Feb. 21, No. 14 Lander University (0-1) faces Frances Marion University on Feb. 20 and No. 15 La Salle University (1-0) faces Stevenson on Feb. 20.