Oregon Remains Undefeated With Sweep of Pilots

The Ducks also have not dropped a single game this season with 30 played.

Oregon sophomore Sonja Newcombe had eight kills, seven digs and two blocks in Oregon's victory. Photo courtesy: goducks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - The Oregon volleyball team won its 10th-straight match of the season and remained undefeated on Tuesday night, ousting the visiting Portland Pilots 3-0 (30-22, 30-20, 30-11) at McArthur Court.

It is just the third time in Oregon volleyball history that a team has rallied off 10 straight victories - the feat was also accomplished in 2006 and 1984.

“This team has worked extremely hard to get to this point,” head coach Jim Moore said after Oregon’s victory. “We knew when the year started we had a chance to do some very special things and be successful with this group.”

One more consecutive victory for the Ducks would set a new record for the program, and that opportunity will come this weekend at the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge in Columbus, Ohio, when Oregon takes on Purdue at 1:30 p.m. (PDT) on Friday.

The Ducks’ second opponent of the tournament is 20th-ranked Ohio State, the team’s first top-25 competition of the season.

“This weekend is undoubtedly going to be a big test for us, but I am confident our players are prepared,” Moore said. “This tournament is going to show us just where were at for the start of the Pac-10 season.”

The Ducks also have not dropped a single game this season with 30 played, another program record.

Portland now drops to 6-4 on the year.

Oregon held the Pilots' attack to a -.060 attacking percentage, the best mark for the Ducks this season and marking the sixth time an Oregon opponent has been held under .100 hitting percentage.

Oregon’s attack was dispersed as not one hitter reached double figures.

Freshman Heather Meyers produced a match-high nine kills hitting .400 on the evening, while also adding five digs and two service aces.

Sophomore Sonja Newcombe added eight kills, seven digs and two blocks, while sophomore setter Nevena Djordjevic reached a new season high with a match-best 31 assists.

Junior Katie Swoboda had a match-high 10 digs, and as a team, Oregon had seven service aces.

Senior Karen Waddington, junior Kristen Forristall and sophomore Neticia Enesi each finished the match with five kills apiece.

Forristall led the team with a .625 attacking percentage, and also added three blocks.

Coincidentally, Enesi and Waddington were the two other Ducks with three blocks apiece as well.

Oregon received 73 votes in the last CSTV/AVCA Coaches’ poll on Monday, leaving the Ducks just two spots out of the top 25.

Oregon will be back at Mac Court on Friday, Sept. 21, taking on the Washington Huskies in the Pac-10 opener at 7:00 p.m.

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