EUGENE, Ore. — Coming off the big win against No. 9 Purdue over the weekend, Oregon (15-12, 6-11 BigTen) faced off against No. 16 USC (21-6, 12-5 BigTen) for the second time in the conference this Wednesday. The Ducks faced the Trojans on the road back in October, losing in three sets. Wednesday’s game gave the Ducks a chance at retribution.
The Ducks ‘retribution did not come without a fight. Just a handful of points into the first set, Oregon kept denying the Trojans’ attempts to kill the ball, blocking ball after ball until Alanah Clemente pushed the ball deep into USC’s court and earned the Ducks the point. Fans in the stands shot up and roared in cheers after the long-anticipated point. The crowd seemed to have wanted it just as much as Oregon did.
The entire first set was back and forth. Whenever USC scored, Oregon answered back. Balls going in between blocks and the defense not being there in corners were the main cause of Oregon’s struggles. The Trojans placed their ball strategically in places where Oregon was the most vulnerable, and the Ducks realized that too late. USC was up 20-17 before the Ducks were able to catch up through service and hitting errors and tie it at 21-21.
The first set ended in a win for the Ducks, 33-31. The crowd cheered and danced around in celebration following Valentina Vaulet’s spike, the ball rolling deep into the back court. The set went on longer than usual, both teams jumping back and forth in scoring, tension at an all-time high in the air. This battle was fought hard by the Ducks, and it proved to be worth it as Oregon came out on top.
“We fought 32 one-point battles in that set,” head coach Trent Kersten said. “We need to continue to have that mindset. I think this team is able to play from down at 23 to 23 and still be okay. We have confidence in areas that helped us in that set.”
Coming off the adrenaline from the first set, Oregon was able to match the same energy from the prior set. The ping ponging of the ball and scoring was yet again established. The Ducks’ defense upped their game and covered all of the court, chasing after every ball, which caused the rallies to last longer as the Trojans took more time in resetting. The tension from the first set carried into the second, and it was obvious.
The game was closely knit. The scoreboard only increased by one for each team after every point earned. A kill by Clemente put the Ducks up by three at 20-17, the largest gap the second set had seen Wednesday night. Some hope began to glimmer for the Ducks as they now were in the lead and managed to maintain it for a handful of points.
“Alanah’s silly good,” Kersten said. “She’s not even close to where she’ll be next year. She’s making a big splash in the Big Ten, and that’s such an amazing opportunity.”
Oregon ended up losing the set to the Trojans 28-26. A defensive error made by Sophia Meyers cost Oregon the second. Obvious exhaustion and disappointment were emitted from the players as they closed the second set. But, a fire seemed to have lit a match underneath them going into the third.
Right off the bat in the third, Vaulet received the first point for Oregon with a kill, the rest of the team following her intensity. Holley McFadden aided Vaulet in a block later in the set, earning loud cheers from the crowd and widening the gap on the scoreboard by 3-0. The Ducks seemed more focused and sharp in their plays. The sting of their previous loss is still fresh, pushing them to do better in the third and take home the win.
“It helps to have people you are motivated by, and that’s Valentina and Alanah,” Kersten said. “Valentina’s getting a lot of sets and is leading in a lot of our attempts. Through their efforts, they help us get into place.”
Oregon’s confidence seemed to shine through in the latter half of the third set. Not many errors were made, and every ball spiked was carefully placed, making USC scramble for every reception. But as the set went on, that confidence seemed to dwindle as the Ducks continued to make error after error. Despite this, Oregon continued to fight.
With their efforts, the Ducks were able to get ahead of USC late into the set at 23-21. Once again, the third set followed the sets before it, going beyond the normal 25-point game. The Trojans ended up taking the third, 28-26, after an attack error made by the Ducks.
The energy coming into the fourth set was not there for the Ducks. It was a slow start for them. The Trojans managed to get a four-point lead on the Ducks, leaving them to scramble for every ball as they tried to score. Every ball and point mattered at this point if they wanted to secure a fifth set and get the win over USC. Oregon seemed hyper-aware of it, and it showed in errors and plays.
USC used Oregon’s depleted energy to its advantage, finding every hole in Oregon's blocks and defense. With every mistake made on the Ducks’ side, the wider the score gap got. Oregon was tense and rigid, too focused on how to score instead of just playing the point out. At 13-19 with Oregon trailing, the energy and tension were apparent in the players’ body language. Movements were stiff as they played. Until the Ducks managed to pull themselves out of the mud and began playing how they usually do – full of energy and fast-paced.
Unfortunately, Oregon lost the fourth set to USC 25-19 due to another attack error. Despite the Ducks’ efforts in trying to steal the win from USC, they still proved themselves to their fanbase as they did not give up so easily.
“We’re not chasing for any one win,” Kersten said. “We’re playing for peace of mind.”
Oregon faces Michigan at home on Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.