The temperature in Pocatello, Idaho, on Sunday was a balmy 63 degrees, but for the Oregon volleyball team, it was almost chilly inside of Reed Gym.
The Ducks took Idaho State to five games, but lost a heartbreaker to the Bengals (24-30, 30-24, 20-30, 30-20, 15-13) in front of 164 fans.
Oregon (8-9 overall, 0-7 Pacific-10 Conference) suffered its ninth loss of the season, and the Bengals (7-11, 2-4 Big Sky Conference) broke out of a three-game losing streak. The Ducks have not won since defeating Boise State on Sept. 8 at McArthur Court, and Idaho State won its first match against a Pac-10 squad since 1987.
This is just another step down in what has turned into a trying season for the Ducks. Head coach Carl Ferreira’s squad began non-conference play convincingly, but has seemingly fallen into a black hole since.
“The moment you get satisfied with not succeeding, I think you hold yourself back of what you can attain,” he said after an earlier match against Oregon State. “I don’t think you can be satisfied.”
Stephanie Martin again came up big for the Ducks, leading the team in kills for the fourth straight match. She bettered her previous career high of 15 with 26 kills against the Bengals. Her 10-point service run in game three helped the Ducks come back from a 14-13 deficit to win, 30-20.
However, that was the last game they won, as Idaho State came back strong in the match’s final two games to win in five.
Oregon put the pressure on the Bengals early in the match on Sunday, only to see Idaho State stay focused and come back in the end.
Senior Monique Tobbagi’s seven straight points in game one allowed Oregon to put Idaho State away quickly, but not before the Bengals held the Ducks at 28 for three serves and 29 for another three serves.
Game two, however, was a different story.
Led by Joy Deatherage, Idaho State sprang out to a convincing 28-17 lead. With Sydney Chute serving for seven straight points, the Ducks climbed back to 28-24, but could not hold the Bengals off and lost, 30-24.
Two games later, after a strong Oregon win, Idaho State again played a strong game. Deatherage’s 100th career service ace helped the Bengals jump to a quick 2-1 lead, one that they would not relinquish. A 10-point deficit put the Ducks down in game four, setting up the spotlight for what would be an interesting game five.
At 13-10, the Ducks held a commanding lead as they were only two points away from a win. But those were two points they wouldn’t get.
The Bengals’ Ali Gorny put the pressure on Ferreira and the Ducks with a strong kill to put the momentum back on Idaho State’s side. Deatherage again came up big, essentially winning the match for the Bengals. Behind her serves, Idaho State won four-straight points, including two service aces.
Just like that, the Ducks had their ninth loss of the season, and eighth in a row.
In addition to her team-leading 26 kills, Martin finished the match with 13 digs, two behind sophomore Lindsay Murphy’s 15. Chute, a junior, tied a career high in assists with a match-high 56.
Also looking strong for the Ducks was junior Lindsay Closs, who pitched in with 14 kills and tied a season-high in blocks with nine.
Next up for the Ducks are the Arizona schools. Arizona State visits McArthur Court on Thursday, while Arizona comes in Friday. Both matches are set to start at 7 p.m.