EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon women’s volleyball has faced many changes and challenges this season. The main one being a completely brand new team. Following the departure of head coach Matt Ulmer, outside hitter Mimi Colyer and 99 percent of the squad following the 2024 season, Oregon had to rebuild its team from scratch. Despite the new team, the Ducks have had to prove themselves worthy of a spot within the Big Ten, which would be a difficult task during any season.
The new Oregon Ducks team consists of multiple transfers from varying colleges, such as the University of Michigan, to Univerzitet Union-Nikola Tesla in Serbia, as well as a good number of freshmen. Having a fresh new team made up of diverse players from different parts of the world makes Oregon's roster dynamic and unpredictable, offering an eccentric blend of playing styles and experiences that managed to give the team a competitive edge this season.
“With 15 new people and one returner, we’re building this thing as we go,” head coach Trent Kersten said. “We’re going to mess it up sometimes. We’re not going to get it right sometimes, but we’re not going to stop moving through it. We’ll continue moving forward.”
Maya De Los Reyes is the only returning Duck this season – and she’s been a major help for her fellow teammates in support on and off the court. De Los Reyes is often seen on the sidelines loudly cheering for her teammates and goes in during pivotal moments to serve for her team.
“Maya is the foundation of the team,” Kersten said. “If you know her at all, you know how welcoming she is, as a human. But what’s under the covers of being a good human is how hard she worked this spring to have some opportunities on the court and on serve receive, specifically.”
“She improved so much,” he continued. “She was the only one here, and she committed to it. She was like, ‘I’m in. I want to help. Let’s go. I want to graduate a Duck.’ I feel so lucky to have gotten to coach her.”
With so many new players on the roster, Oregon often struggled to maintain its momentum throughout multiple matches. It is to be expected with such a new team. But, the Ducks tried not to have it affect their play as much and just play their 25 one-point game.
Their last two home games against USC and Michigan ended in losses for the Ducks. In both games, they went beyond the normal 25 points and often pushed close to 30. In these matches, they experienced a fluctuation of energy and, at times, were able to secure the set. But often not, the pressure and anticipation these long sets provided proved to be a lot of weight for Oregon, succumbing to the pressure and losing the set. In both instances, Oregon lost in four sets.
“One of the lessons of playing high-level volleyball is you can’t love the game conditionally when you’re just playing well,” Kersten said. “You’ve got to really love it when you’re grinding out, and it’s ugly and complex. I think we really struggled with that during this match, and it showed. It’s just another thing to improve on.”
But despite many losses, the Ducks have had wins when it mattered the most. When facing Purdue and Minnesota, Oregon won both matches in an uproar. Purdue’s match went to five sets, where Oregon received 71 total kills and a hitting percentage of .338. The last set of the Purdue match had both of them tied at 15-15 before the Ducks were able to secure the set with 17-15 from a block and kill.
For the Minnesota match, Oregon played at home in Matthew Knight Arena, where it swept the Gophers in four sets. This match would mark their 150th win inside Matthew Knight and first ranked win of the season. Oregon received 59 total kills and a hitting percentage of .270. Not their highest throughout the entire season, but enough to outdo Minnesota. The Ducks won the match through the extension of three back-to-back kills, but a service error from the Gophers is what allowed Oregon to clinch the set.
Both matches proved that this new Oregon team has the ability to win valuable and important games as well as come back when needed.
Despite this season being the first season the new Ducks were able to play and compete with one another, it is clear that they are planning on working hard in the spring to be even better next season. The drive and determination are there – it’s just a matter of time and patience for the Ducks. But with a loyal fanbase behind them, the program is built to be a team that not only learns from their early setbacks but turns them into the foundation for a stronger and more unified season ahead.