In the second match of the Vert Challenge in Gainesville, Florida, No. 18 Oregon fell short against No. 1 Texas 3-1 on Saturday, moving their record to 1-1.
Oregon finished the match with 56 kills and a .159 hitting percentage whereas the Longhorns had 44 total kills with a .209 percentage.
Although Texas took the lead early in the first set, Oregon was able to pull through a 25-23 win with sophomore Lindsey Vander Weide’s set point kill.
Oregon and Texas started the second set neck-and-neck. Texas’ big hitters, freshman Lexi Sun and sophomore Micaya White, were key contributors in the win. Sun finished with 14 kills and White with six. Although Oregon freshman Brooke Van Sickle’s tip helped the Ducks tie the set 16-16, the Ducks fell short to Texas 22-25.
An early advantage in set three for Texas made Oregon step up and tie the set at 10-10. Following sophomore Willow Johnson’s two consecutive kills, Texas called a timeout. Then Sun’s kill put the Longhorns up 12-13. Oregon pushed to close the gap but fell short with junior Morgan Johnson’s match point kill, giving the Longhorns a second victory in the third set 22-25.
Oregon built a five-point lead in the beginning of the fourth set due to Vander Weide’s three kills and junior Taylor Agost’s two kills. Both teams had back-to-back rallies, however, Texas moved past the 21-21 tie. Following Oregon’s timeout, Texas took home a 23-25 victory with senior Chiaka Ogbogu’s match kill.
Despite ending the Vert Challenge with a 1-1 record, the Ducks will look forward to the Oregon Classic on August 31. Oregon begins the tournament playing against University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at Matt Knight arena at 7 p.m.
Follow Daphne Martin @daaphnemartin