After being away on a seven-game road trip, Oregon (1-2, 10-3 BigTen) faced Iowa (1-2, 10-5 BigTen) at home Friday for its first game in Eugene since the start of the conference. It was the first game of two to be played at Matthew Knight this weekend.
The first set of the game started off strong for the Ducks, the first point being made by junior Valentina Vaulet. After getting a few points on the scoreboard for Oregon, the Hawkeyes managed to catch up with the Ducks, only for them to answer back with on-point defense and kills.
Throughout the entirety of the first set, the Ducks dominated with their calm and collected energy, brushing off errors made. Their morale never broke, and it seemed to have contributed to their success in the first set. Every dig, assist, block and kill was carefully placed as Oregon moved as one unit. The set ended with an Oregon win, 25-19.
“We train every day and put so many reps in for games like this,” said Vaulet. “I feel like we do and need to trust the work we put into training and our efforts in bringing the team together. We’re a new team and we’re growing every day.”
Though the high of winning the first set seemed to be short-lived, as Iowa was quickly able to tie it with the Ducks just seven points into the game. The Hawkeyes continued to persevere as they managed to keep the lead, with Oregon just barely trailing behind. With every mistake Oregon made, its energy switched from calm and collected to scrappy and rushed.
Iowa cleaned up its game in the second set, the score reflecting that as the Hawkeyes continued to get their digs to target and slam the ball onto the court. They learned from their mistakes made in the first set and played smart, their hustle and placement displaying that.
As Iowa inched closer to winning the second set, small mistakes from both teams made all the difference. Multiple errors made by Oregon led to Iowa winning the second set 25-19. Missed digs were made, blocks weren’t up quick enough and the placement of the ball never quite reached its target as Iowa was able to get the ball up just in time. Aleksandra Stojanovic led the Hawkeyes to the second set victory with her service ace, effectively shutting down the Ducks for that set.
Oregon seemed to have gained its momentum back in the third set. The Ducks additionally learned from their mistakes and made improvements in their game, leading them to lead the set for the majority of it. The tables had flipped for Iowa and Oregon, with Iowa now resorting to playing scrappy and making errors.
The switch of energies proved to be advantageous for Oregon as errors were rarely made, and it was more cool and collected, taking its time in making each play. The Ducks secured the third set with a 25-15 win with a kill from freshman Holley McFadden. Cheers and roars erupted from fans as McFadden slammed the ball into the ground, teammates gathering around as they celebrated the deserved win.
“It was pretty cool to experience the energy of the students and fans,” Vaulet said. “They were so loud and hyped everything up. It was pretty noticeable to see the support the students gave us as the first home game back since school started.”
The fourth set started off strong for the Ducks, gaining the lead and winning the longest rally of the match with blocks from Iva Sucurovic and Vaulet. But the energy on the court flipped again as Iowa gained the lead quickly after, and Oregon continued to make errors despite starting off the set with a lead.
Missed blocks and digs were the main culprits as to why the Ducks trailed behind the Hawkeyes. The scrapiness to Oregon's game returned as they desperately tried to shorten the gap and catch up with Iowa. It was given relief after Iowa missed a serve, putting the score at 19-10 Hawkeyes.
But that sparkle of hope was quickly diminished after Iowa received a kill from outside hitter Hallie Steponaitis, putting them at 20-12. The Ducks were unable to come back from Iowa’s momentum, succumbing to their talons in the fourth. The Hawkeyes secured the set with a 25-16 win, the set ending with a kill from Chard’e Vanzandt.
“It felt like a combination of hitting, ace and service errors, and a couple missed defensive assignments,” Oregon head coach Trent Kersten said. “And a couple of out-of-system swings most likely contributed to our energy and losses.”
Coming into the fifth set, the realization that every point matters dawned on the Ducks, and the energy on the court became more tense and agitated. Oregon was prepared to fight for every point it could get, chasing after every ball and spiking it every chance it got.
Anticipation spread like wildfire amongst the crowd, people standing and swaying back and forth as the Ducks scraped for every point on the leaderboard. The players could feel the energy of the crowd, playing their best when the fans cheered the loudest.
After a very long set of back and forth, with both teams being just arm’s length from taking the set, Oregon won the set at 19-17 with a kill from Vaulet. Vaulet led Oregon in kills, receiving 19 during this match-up. The Ducks’ hard effort and extreme plays won them their first game at home, a very deserved win.
“Our crowd and our student section, gosh, that was so awesome,” Kersten said. “We needed every single one of them here. It was such a great volleyball environment, and I’m so grateful everyone gave their time to come here tonight.”
Oregon’s next home game is Saturday, October 4, against Ohio State at 6 p.m. PST.