Volleyball: Oregon Ducks Look to Knockoff #2 Washington Huskies
Looking to add another signature win to bolster the resume in hopes of making the postseason, The Oregon Ducks face their Pacific Northwest rival the Washington Huskies (24-2, 14-2 Pac-12). This task will be tall for the Ducks as the team look to end a four-game skid against the Huskies, who look to sweep the season series on Friday, November 20th, night.
Oregon (14-12, 8-9 Pac-12) will have momentum on the team’s side coming off a big road victory against #9 UCLA. The Ducks are also coming off a victory after defeating the Washington State Cougars Wednesday night, November 18th, at home. Oregon’s Frankie Shebby had a career high 15 kills in the match against the Cougars.
Finishing has been the theme this season for the Ducks. After strong starts to begin each set, Oregon has been unable to keep the momentum going, allowing opponents to fight back and take away critical sets. The Ducks will look to turn the team’s fortunes around against the Huskies, who lead the Pac-12 this season in hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage.
Ducks outside hitter, Frankie Shebby, has been an x-factor this season. The strong play from the sophomore has allowed an offensive balance for the Ducks attack. This allows pressure to be taken off other outside hitters such as Martenne Bettendorf, Taylor Agost, and Lindsey Vander Weide from being depended on to carry the offense. Shebby needs to continue her offensive production to keep the Ducks in the match.
Washington’s offense has been impressive all season; sophomore Courtney Schwan leads the Huskies attack, who is coming off a sweep of the Oregon State Beavers Wednesday in Corvallis. If the Ducks want to compete, defense will be critical to keep the Huskies attack at bay.
Last meeting between the two teams saw Washington dismantle Oregon in three straight sets. Oregon was unable to get the offense going against a strong Washington defense who leads the Pac-12 in blocks.
First serve is set for 4 p.m. in Matthew Knight Arena, and will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
stats courtesy of goducks.com~photo by Stephanie Lovell/DuckTv
