This spring Oregon may add a second national championship trophy to the 2007-2008 school year to go along with the national championship won by the men’s cross country team in the fall. The Oregon women’s club ultimate Frisbee team has a chance to add to the school’s national championship history.
The 7-on-7, self-officiated sport lends itself to images of relaxing on a grass field in the sun tossing around a disc, an image that the women’s ultimate team only partially supports.
“Who doesn’t want to play Frisbee in the sun?” asked sophomore team coordinator Jenica Villamor. “At the same time, though, it is a tough sport with a lot of strategy. We have plays set up on both offense and defense, including a zone offensive and defensive look.”
The women’s ultimate team doesn’t take the traditional Ducks school name. Instead, they have adopted the name Fugue, which is a musical movement in which a definite number of parts or voices combine in stating or developing one single theme. It is a fitting name for a group of girls who workout together six days a week.
“We get along so well,” said Villamor. “It’s like having 21 of your best friends to hang out with every day. I know it sounds corny, but with this group it’s true.”
Fugue has used that chemistry early this season to establish itself as a premiere club. They are fourth out of 170 ranked teams, a significant improvement for a club that has consistently failed to make it to the national tournament, let alone with a chance to win it.
“This year we only have three girls who are new to the sport,” said team captain Sarah Moore. “We brought in a few transfers too, and they have really helped us get to the next level. It’s a veteran group.”
Among those transfers is former University of Washington standout Molly Suver, whose twin sister, Clare, still plays for University of Washington. The Oregon-Washington rivalry is the Fugue’s most heated and has become increasingly competitive in the last few years, culminating this season when the two teams squared off with a Centex Invitational championship bid on the line. Washington won 11-9, forcing Oregon into a fifth-place finish.
As the regular season, made up of mostly West Coast invitationals, winds to a close, Oregon has begun preparation for its postseason three-tournament stretch.
Next weekend Fugue is set to play host to the sectional tournament, featuring six teams from the Northwest. The tournament will take place on the riverfront, next to the Autzen Stadium footbridge and on Papé Field. The top two teams from that tournament will advance to the regional tournament. For the past five years Oregon has been able to win its section, a trend it plans on continuing this year.
“I guarantee we win our sectionals,” said Villamor. “We always win the sectional tournament. We consistently lose to our big rival, the University of Washington, in the regional tournament though. Hopefully, this year we will be able to qualify to nationals.”
To advance to the national championship tournament in Boulder, Colorado, Fugue will have to finish in the top three of the regional tournament.
That could prove to be a difficult task this season, as four of the top eight teams will be vying for three bids from the Northwest region. Among those battling for a trip to Boulder will be the top two ranked teams, No. 1 University of British Columbia and No. 2 Washington, as well as No. 8 Stanford, a school that has won three of the last four national championships and six of the past 10.
“Stanford lost a lot of talent from last year’s team, so we’ll see if they get better as the year progresses,” said Villamor. “But I hope not!”
If Fugue is able to make it to the national tournament, it may be difficult for the team to budget out the cost of flying to the tournament hosted in Boulder. The team has already had to pay for plane tickets to two of their tournaments, including round-trip tickets to Las Vegas for the largest women’s ultimate Frisbee invitational of the spring: Trouble in Vegas. Many of the athletes will have to pay their own way to Boulder, and some have jobs to help pay for the costs.
But Villamor said that balancing a busy schedule that includes school, work and workouts six days a week is worth it.
“You always make time for something that you love. It’s a break to go out and play Frisbee, but not just any Frisbee. It’s hella competitive,” she said.