2023 Big West player of the year and University of California Santa Barbara transfer, Michelle Ohwobete, put up a season-high 15 kills in the No. 10 Oregon Ducks’ three-set sweep over the UCLA Bruins on Saturday. 

The previous match high this season for the outside hitter was 13 kills on 32 total attacks in Coralville, Iowa against the Hawkeyes. 

Ohwobete’s performance is seen as a bounce back to head coach Matt Ulmer. In the midweek loss (2-3) in Seattle on Wednesday, Oct. 30 against the Washington Huskies, Ohwobete only tallied up 8 kills on 32 total attacks.

“Michelle had a nice matchup tonight and really exploited it,” Ulmer said. “She was very aggressive, which was something we talked about after Washington. I thought she came out pretty timid offensively in that Washington matchup.”

“We needed to come out attacking and I thought Michelle did that from the start,” he said. “Michelle’s service run right away I think was a great opener. Those were nasty serves and she came out right away doing that.”

Those “nasty serves” according to Ulmer were two straight aces for Ohwobete and two of three on the night to lead the Ducks in the service aces column. 

“I think coming off of Washington I was trying to go back to the basics and do what I can do,” Ohwobete said. “It sounds counterintuitive but I was thinking about everything else but hitting.”

Ohwobete made her presence known in the second set which had 11 ties and four lead changes, the most of all three sets. In the air, Ohwobete had nine of her 15 kills of the match in the second set. 

“I think one of the best things about my game that has improved is definitely my serve,” Ohwobete said. “I’ve gotten more comfortable being aggressive and getting after it no matter what point we’re on.”

That aggressiveness with the Ohwobete’s serve shined through on match point. Ohwobete closed out the match with her third service ace of the night and 27th of the season to win the third set 25-13 and sweep the Bruins 3-0 back to Los Angeles.

Ohwobete still has a firm lead of service aces on the season for the Ducks with 27, but sits at third with 174 kills in 69 sets played. 

Next for Ohwobete and the No. 10 Oregon Ducks is to host No. 2 Nebraska at Matthew Knight Arena for the first time ever. The top 10 matchup is set to start off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7.