By Ryan Oppenheimer
EUGENE, Ore. — After two weeks on the road, the No. 6 ranked Oregon Ducks women's volleyball team returned home Tuesday night and defeated the No. 24 USC Trojans 3 sets to 1 in their final regular season home match of the year.
For Oregon's seven seniors, it was the last regular season home match they would play amongst the trees of Kilkenny Floor. The seniors were honored all match long, but one of them, setter Hannah Pukis, was congratulated separately before the match for joining the prestigious 5,000-career-assist club during the team's recent road trip.
What followed was a scintillating rendition of the national anthem by none other than head coach Matt Ulmer — a reward he gave Oregon fans for breaking the record for season tickets sold.
Oregon got off to a hot start in the first set, rattling off 13 straight points with Pukis behind the service line. She recorded 2 service aces and 7 assists during that stretch. The Ducks cruised to a 25-14 set victory, with senior Gabby Gonzales hitting the winning kill.
The second set was the one the Ducks let slip away, as they pulled ahead 13-9 early before committing 4 attack errors in quick succession and giving up the lead. Down 24-23, Gabby Gonzales's attack was initially called long, but Ulmer's challenge successfully overturned it, tying the score at 24 and keeping hope alive. USC would go on to win the next two points on a kill from London Wijay and another Oregon attack error, tying the match at 1 apiece.
Despite the self-inflicted wounds in set 2, the Ducks were still comfortably out-hitting, out-serving and out-blocking a Trojan team that was missing their offensive centerpiece, senior outside hitter Skylar Fields. The third set saw the Ducks lock back in, with Mimi Colyer recording 6 of her 11 kills en route to a 25-16 set win.
Though Colyer is the season kill leader and usual brightest star, tonight was senior opposite hitter Morgan Lewis's time to shine. By far the team's most efficient high-volume hitter at well over .300 heading into tonight's game, she boosted her average further with a team-high 19 kills and just 2 errors on 35 total swings. It was Lewis who shut the door on the Trojans in the fourth set, scoring 3 of the Ducks' final 5 points. Oregon clinched the set and match on a USC attack error.
As a team, the Ducks finished with a .279 hitting percentage, 11 aces and 11 blocks. On the USC side, freshman outside hitter London Wijay stepped up in Fields's absence, tallying a double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs.
Pukis and Lewis were far from the only seniors honored today. Elise Ferreira, Karson Bacon, Gabby Gonzales, Georgia Murphy, and Kara McGhee also received their flowers for all they have contributed to the program.
Oregon, now winners of four straight, advances to 23-5 and clinches a second place finish in the PAC-12 standings, while USC drops to 18-11. Ulmer's squad will play the final PAC-12 game in school history against the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis Saturday afternoon.