STORY: Oregon Volleyball Plays Competitive, But Can’t Steal a Set Against UCLA

Written Story (by Ryan Milano)

On Friday, the #16 Ducks traveled down south to play #17 UCLA in a top-20 Pac-12 matchup. Oregon was coming fresh off of losing six straight sets to Washington and Washington State. The tides did not change against UCLA. In straight sets, the Bruins defeated the Ducks, 25-20, 25-22, and 25-23 to knock off Oregon.

Oregon played well, but UCLA played near perfect, both offensively and defensively. 76 digs in the back row, including 28 from Elán McCall, stifled Oregon’s attack. Offensively, it was Mac May and Charitie Luper who carried the load. Both had double-doubles, and May’s 24 Kills along with Luper’s 16 propelled the Bruins to victory.

Oregon had a few standouts of their own in the loss. Kiari Robey was a surprise addition to the starting lineup, but she impressed. Robey recorded nine kills, five blocks, and a team-high .368 hitting percentage in her starting debut. Taylor Borup came back off an injury with a double-double (10 Kills/12 Digs).

The Ducks have now dropped nine consecutive sets and fall to 5-4 in the conference with a 14-5 overall record. Oregon’s Pac-12 title hopes are now fleeting. The Ducks try to right the ship against USC on Saturday at 1:00 pm.

Audio Story (by Sean MacPherson)