By Maddie Lang
EUGENE, OR - #16 Oregon Volleyball (15-5, 9-3) takes on the #19 Washington Huskies (16-6, 8-4) and the Washington State Cougars (16-7, 8-4) this weekend in Matthew Knight Arena. The first of the two matches is against the Huskies on Friday night at 6:00 PM PT. The second match against the Cougars is Sunday at 12:00 PM PT. This past weekend, Oregon headed to Arizona where they extended their winning streak to 5 games with ease. Oregon Volleyball has been very hot during this midpoint of their season, averaging 14.10 kills per set, 13.31 assists per set, and 14.42 digs per set. However, this weekend will be no walk in the park. Oregon, who sits at #2 in the Pac-12, will have their work cut out for them as they take on #3 in the Pac-12, Washington State.
Electric Offense
Oregon’s offense has been nothing other than electric in their last few performances. Most notable in these matchups has been Brooke Nuneviller. Against Arizona State in 3 sets on Sunday, Nuneviller put up 20 kills and had just one error on 37 swings, giving her a .514 hitting percentage for the match. Another stand out player on the Oregon offense is Mimi Colyer. Against Arizona in 4 sets, Colyer led the Ducks with 18 kills, 4 blocks, and 4 aces. These two star players for the Ducks have been nothing but reliable and dependable. Oregon will have to continue to turn to players like Nuneviller, Colyer, and company this weekend as they take on rival University of Washington who is one of the top teams in the nation.
Oregon Defense
Oregon’s defense is going to have to give strong performances as well this weekend if they want to walk away with two wins. If they stay consistent to their most recent performances, this should be easy for them to do. In their match up against Arizona State this past Sunday, libero Georgia Murphy had a match high 17 digs. Right behind her was Pukis with a total of 12 digs. Players like Murphy and Pukis are going to be key components to an Oregon win this weekend. The Duck’s defense will have to keep an eye on Washington’s Claire Hoffman and Washington State’s Pia Timmer. These two players gave Oregon a run for their money in their last match ups. For Oregon to take the victories this weekend, they will have to play strong defense at the net and shut down players like Hoffman and Timmer.
Hannah Pukis Back in the Line Up
This past weekend we saw Hannah Pukis hit the floor for the first time after missing six matches for the Ducks. However, given her performance in Arizona, you would not have known it was her first game back since the beginning of October. She had 46 assists against Arizona and 42 against ASU. She had a total of 12 digs in both matches. Pukis, however, has not faced off against either Washington team this year. This fresh set of eyes could be what the Ducks need heading into the weekend. Last time Oregon faced off against these two teams, they lost both matches 2-3. Having Pukis back could be just what Oregon needs to pull out the wins this weekend.
Washington Huskies Preview
In their last match up with the Ducks, the Huskies started out strong. They won the first two sets 25-20 and 25-18. Oregon managed to fight back and take sets 3 and 4 but the Huskies rallied together in the 5th to take down the Ducks. Washington was without Emoni Bush, one of their star players, this past weekend due to an ankle injury. If Bush remains out this weekend, the Washington offense will have to rely on Claire Hoffman to lead the team. Last time they faced the Ducks, Hoffman put up 22 kills and one block. Also in that same match, Lauren Bays, libero, had a total of 15 digs and 5 assists. If the Huskies want to pull out another win against the Ducks this Friday, they will have to turn to these key players to lead the team.
Washington State Cougars Preview
The last matchup against Washington State and Oregon ended with a Cougar win 2-3. Leading the Cougar offense for this match was outside hitter Pia Timmer who had a total of 21 kills and 2 blocks. In their past two matches, the Cougars have averaged 41.5 kills. The Cougar offense is going to have to put up a strong performance if they want to take down the #16 Oregon Ducks. On the defensive end, Karly Basham has led the team with 16 digs in their most recent matchup. To walk away with a win this weekend, the Cougars will have to trust their defense to find a way to shut down Oregon’s top hitters, Nuneviller and Colyer, and rely on their star hitters to rally some points for them.
Final Overview
The pressure is on for the Ducks this weekend. They lost both matches against the Huskies and Cougars in their road trip to Washington earlier this season. I think Oregon will have an easier match this time around against the Cougars considering where both teams sit in the rankings. However, I think the Huskies will give Oregon a run for their money once again this season. I think Hannah Pukis will be a big factor in both matches. She was injured last time these teams faced off and I think she will play a big role in determining who will win this weekend. I think the Ducks will have to battle it out with the Huskies but will win in either 4 or 5 sets Friday night. On Sunday, I see them pulling off a win against the Cougars in 3. Overall, it will be an exciting weekend for Oregon Volleyball here in Eugene.