After receiving their first-ranked win of the season against No. 18 Minnesota on Friday, Oregon (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten) went against No. 17 Penn State (11-7, 4-3 Big Ten) on Saturday at home court. Friday’s win was the Ducks’ 150th inside Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks hoped Saturday would bring the 151st.
From the start of the first set, it was evident that both teams wanted this win. The energy was high on both sides of the court, and every time one team scored, the other answered back with a kill.
Opposite hitter Alanah Clemente managed to get the Ducks on the scoreboard first, slamming the ball onto the Nittany Lions’ side, Penn State scrambling for the ball but were unsuccessful in their attempt to keep the play alive. Clemente received eight kills this set, leading the Ducks in this category.
Throughout the entirety of the first set, it seemed as if both teams kept ping-ponging off of each other. It was a constant back and forth, not just with the ball. Momentum switched, and both teams always answered after a kill or block, fighting to maintain a lead on the scoreboard. Unfortunately for the Ducks let the first set slip from their fingers, Penn State securing the first set with 25-22.
Clemente, yet again, managed to get Oregon on the scoreboard first with a kill immediately into the second set, earning her ninth kill of the night. This early establishment seemed to carry the Ducks well into the majority of the set.
Players on the court fed off of the energy not just from the fans, but from each other as well. Those on the court swarmed one another and cheered in victory as yet another point was tallied onto the board for the Ducks, no matter if it was from a kill or a successful block. And with every kill Clemente and the team made, it only seemed to add more fuel to the crowd.
“The crowd and fans help make us feel like a part of a community,” head coach Trent Kersten said. “I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this. Our fans make this such a special environment.”
The second set was filled with even more high-tempo. Faster swings and blocks were executed. Passes and sets were on target. It was evident that the Ducks desired to win the set. But even with that desire, small mistakes were made on the court.
Missed serves, blocks and passes were costing the Ducks small points and slowly closing the gap for the Nittany Lions. With the looming fact that Penn State was inching closer and closer to taking this set, Oregon buckled down on all aspects of its game.
After Penn State won its challenge of the set point ball being out late into the second, tension and anticipation were thick not just on the court but within the stands as well. Outside hitter Valentina Vaulet secured the Ducks’ win in the second set with a kill, 25-23 being the final score.
Fans cheered and jumped as the ball sailed deep into the back court, hitting the back white line. Vaulet’s fellow teammates copied the crowd's cheers, grabbing onto Vaulet as she turned to her team in a victory cry.
Much like the prior sets, the third set started off with a back-and-forth fight. Both teams continued scrambling for the ball and making smart and quick plays, pushing the ball deep and hitting it with all their strength. The same mistakes were made on both sides — service errors, incomplete passes and open spots being taken advantage of.
“We were so consistent in the first two sets,” Kersten said. “We had a couple of defensive executions in the first set, and we were close to hitting over .400. We want to win, we’re not hiding from that fact.”
Late into the third set, a hitting error from Penn State sophomore Emmi Sellman tied up the score at 21-21. Both teams continued to exchange attacks after that, constantly having either of them within arm’s length of taking the set, only trailing by one or two points. But a kill from redshirt sophomore Caroline Jurevicius led Penn State in taking the third set with 25-23.
A kill from Clemente managed to break Penn State out of their score streak in the fourth, giving the Ducks some relief in only trailing by one with a 14-13 score. But that relief was short-lived after yet another service error from Oregon, one of 16 errors Oregon experienced.
Every fan within Matthew Knight stood up from their seat, watching in anxiety as Oregon and Penn State battled it out, cheers erupting once a kill from Iva Sucurovic tied the game at 24-24. Cheers erupted from the crowd as the ball hit the ground, and Sucurovic joined her team in celebration.
Anticipation was even thicker after that, the Ducks and Nittany Lions going back and forth in scoring and making errors on the court. Despite the need for a cooler and calmer energy in order to secure the set win for the night, Oregon succumbed to the pressure and tension, leading the Lions to close the set with 27-25, winning three out of four sets.
“Super excited to continue this battle of the Big Ten,” Kersten said. “There’s no place like it. To have a team that was thrown and put together three months ago that is battling within it, I think it’s just a testament to the people we have in the locker room — coaching staff, administration and everyone that touches our program. I’m super proud of our fight tonight.”
Oregon faces UCLA on the road next Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m.