Any Oregon fan who has been in Matthew Knight Arena during game point knows the excitement in the air at that moment. When the Ducks hit 24 points, the fans get on their feet and throw spirit fingers in the air, cheering “OOOOO” at Kilkenny court. Oregon volleyball got to watch its fans experience that excitement three times in a row this afternoon during its sweep of Cal 25-23, 25-22, 25-19.
“It was about time we got that win,” senior Martenne Bettendorf said.
The Ducks have struggled to finish sets this season, falling to Stanford, Utah and USC in its past four matches. So a sweep of Cal wasn’t just a confidence booster; it was totally necessary.
“It was over if we didn’t get this one,” head coach Jim Moore said with a sigh of relief.
The do-or-die match began with neither side clearly ahead. The teams remained close from the tie at 11 until 23-22 Oregon, when the Ducks made the final two-point push to win the set.
Taylor Agost was key in that set, scoring five kills with a .625 hitting percentage.
Oregon used the energy of the first set win to power through the second. Freshman Lindsey Vander Weide made her mark on the match early with seven kills in the first set, followed by five in the second set, leading the Ducks for the day.
“Lindsey was unbelievable tonight,” Bettendorf said.
The Ducks finished off the final set by powering through points, eager to take home their win for the day. Oregon scored ten of its first 14 points of the set on kills by five different players. The Ducks won the set on a final kill by Vander Weide, her 15th of the day.
“We finished every set very well,” Moore said.
“It showed we’re able to pull out a win in tight situations,” Bettendorf added.
For Oregon, the win means some steam added to its last road trip of the season. Oregon’s goal is to bring the same power it showed today down to Southern Califorina for its next two matches. The Ducks will take on USC Wednesday, followed by UCLA the following night.
“All games are important at this point in the season,” Bettendorf said. “We’ve got to make some upsets.”
Follow Madison Layton on Twitter @MadisonLayton01