The breakthrough the Oregon volleyball team desperately needed arrived Saturday night in a three-game sweep of visiting Washington State.
One night after Oregon fell to No. 2 Washington and lost libero Katie Swoboda to an injury, Oregon ended a streak of nearly five years without a home win in the Pacific-10 Conference. Saturday marked Oregon’s first conference win at McArthur Court since Nov. 9, 2000 against Washington.
It wasn’t pretty as both teams combined for 50 attack errors.
“We were tense the whole night, and I thought we played very mediocre,” head coach Jim Moore said. “To play that anxiously and tentatively, and still pull it out, I thought was very, very good.”
This was the performance Moore wanted to start conference play against Arizona State. Halfway through the conference schedule, it doesn’t get easier for the Ducks, with visits to No. 15 California and No. 5 Stanford on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Saturday, though, Oregon cherished the emotional win. Seniors Kelly Russell and Jaclyn Jones had never before had the experience. Russell made sure Oregon did by recording six of her 10 kills in the deciding game three.
Oregon had fallen behind 25-23, when Moore called a time-out. Russell and Karen Waddington combined for five of Oregon’s last seven points in the 31-29 match-deciding win. More importantly, Oregon recovered after giving up a late lead, something it didn’t do against Cal, Oregon State and others.
Stephanie Alleman said they work on fighting back during a deficit through drills in practice.
“We knew we could come back,” Alleman said. “We just had to settle down and make the right plays and we did it.”
Sometimes wins come down to breaks, getting points at opportune moments and successful teams can do that, Moore said.
“That’s a huge thing,” Moore said of coming back. “And that’s the problem – that could have turned around. In reality, you need a little luck and we got a little lucky.”
With Alleman filling in effortlessly, as Russell described it, and steady, as Moore said, Oregon won with normal starter Swoboda sidelined after her head collided with Russell’s knee in a game against Washington. Oregon officials called the injury a concussion.
Swoboda watched Oregon win, appearing anxious to play, one night after she left in the third game in obvious pain as teammates and coaches looked on.
“It will be a day-to-day thing and the doctors will evaluate her and see what happens,” Moore said.
Currently, her status for the next two matches is unclear. Swoboda has responded daily to treatment, said assistant director of media services Andy McNamara.
Alleman, who had 18 digs, dedicated the match to Swoboda.
“Katie is a great player and she makes amazing plays I’ve never seen another libero make, but Stephanie is – very consistent and a great defensive player,” Russell said.
Oregon had to adjust to Alleman’s presence, starting the match with four Washington State points before the Ducks responded. Oregon and Washington State traded points until, when tied at 25, the Ducks scored five-straight points culminated by consecutive Russell service aces.
In games two and three, Oregon managed leads of more than four points before the dramatic finish. Outside hitter Mira Djuric had one of her most consistent performances with a match-high 17 kills. Djuric struggled with her serve, an area Djuric said is worse than pre-Pac-10 play.
“Right now it’s not the way it was and not the way it’s supposed to be,” Djuric said.
Oregon’s turnaround came after losing in straight games in an hour and a half Friday against Washington. The Huskies met expectations as they won games with machine-like efficiency.
Holding a three-point lead at eight to five, Washington had an 18 to seven run to take a 26-12 lead and win game one 30-17. Washington won game two 30-16 and a nearly identical game three 30-14.
Djuric had 13 kills. Erika Bartruff and Heather Madison had 14 and 10 assists, respectively.
