Women's Volleyball: Ducks Host Final Home Matches of The Year

Friday’s match is the first half of a doubleheader with the men’s basketball team.

Heather Madison is one of three seniors playing their final matches at Mac Court this week. Photo: goducks.com

EUGENE - The Ducks (17-7, 7-7 Pac-10) play their final two home matches of the season, hosting No. 3 Stanford and No. 15 California on Thursday and Friday, respectively, at McArthur Court.

The match against the Cardinal starts at 7:00 PM, while the Cal Golden Bears hit Mac Court for a 5:00 PM start on senior night.

THE WEEK THAT WAS:

Oregon dropped a pair of matches in the desert, falling in five sets to Arizona on Thursday and in four vs. Arizona State on Friday.

Oregon won the first game of both contests but failed to hang on.

ABOUT THE DUCKS:

The Oregon volleyball team welcomes seven newcomers and returns six players from last season’s squad, which finished 12-18 overall, 1-17 in the Pac-10 Conference.

Among the returnees are SO OH Mira Djuric, a Pac-10 All-Freshman team member in 2005, and SO L Katie Swoboda, who earned honorable mention Pac-10 All-Freshman status.

SCOUTING STANFORD:

The third-ranked Cardinal (21-3, 12-2) start the week in a first-place tie with No. 2 Washington for the top spot in the Pac-10.

Stanford split a pair of home matches with the L.A. area schools last week, losing to then No. 6 USC in three before bouncing back with a four-set win over then No. 5 UCLA.

SO MB Foluke Akinradewo is hitting .439 and averaging 3.64 kills and 1.31 blocks per game in conference matches. SO OH Cynthia Barboza is averaging 4.71 kills per game in Pac-10 play.

The Series:

Stanford leads the all-time series against the Ducks, 44-2, 39-2 in the Pac-10, and have won 34 straight. Oregon’s last victory against the Cardinal came on Sept. 30, 1989, at Stanford.

SCOUTING CALIFORNIA:

No. 15 Cal (17-8, 6-8) is one match behind the Ducks and stand sixth in the Pac-10.

The Golden Bears dropped both decisions last week, falling at home to UCLA, 1-3, and USC, 0-3, slipping from 12th to 15th in the AVCA/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll.

JR OH Angie Pressey is third in the conference (all matches) with 4.44 kills per game. SR S Samantha Carter is third in the Pac-10 (all matches) in assists, averaging 13.17 sets per game.

The Series:

Cal leads the all-time series 44-13, 34-7 in Pac-10 play. UO snapped a 14-match losing skid to the Bears on Oct. 19 with a 3-1 win. Cal was ranked No. 8 at the time.

DIGGING MACHINE:

With four matches remaining in the regular season, SO L Katie Swoboda has already eclipsed the Oregon single-season digs mark formally held by Teri Kramer (1986).

Kramer’s 20-year mark of 452 fell in the Ducks’ match at Arizona State on Nov. 10th.

Even more impressive is the fact that Swoboda achieved the record in 41 fewer games (90 vs. 131).

The Portland area native, who is also on pace to break her own season record for digs per game, will likely become the first UO player to record 500 digs in a single campaign. She currently has 469.

BITTER NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA:

SR MB Kristen Bitter has been named a first team District VIII Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The Roseburg, Ore., native was one of two Pac-10 players on the first team along with Washington SR S Courtney Thompson. Bitter and all other first team district selections qualify for inclusion on the national ballot.

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED:

For the first time since 1991, Oregon has spent time in the AVCA/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 24 for two weeks this season.

Based on votes received, UO is 31st in the most recent poll issued Nov. 13th.

The Ducks made the poll three times back in ‘91, ranking as high as No. 18. Oregon’s highest ever ranking was No. 11 on Sept. 20th, 1988.

MORE RESPECT:

The Ducks are ranked among the top 30 in two other college volleyball polls. Oregon is No. 25 in the RichKern.com Volleyball Poll and No. 29 in the Pablo Rankings.

SIGNING DAY:

The NCAA’s early signing period produced three standout recruits for the University of Oregon: Sarah Cawrse, a 6-1 setter from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colo., Heather Meyers, a 5-11 outside hitter from Temecula Oak (Calif.) High School and Lana Zielke, a 6-4 middle blocker from Gresham (Ore.) High School, will make up the 2007 freshmen class for the Ducks.

LEADERS OF THE PAC:

The Ducks begin play this week leading the Pac-10 in opponent hitting percentage (.141) and rank second in service aces with an average of 1.62 per game.

Oregon is sixth in blocks per game (3.12). SO OH Mira Djuric leads the conference in aces per game (0.48), and JR MB Karen Waddington is fourth in blocks per game (1.49).

SO L Katie Swoboda is fourth in digs with 5.21 per game, and FR S Nevena Djordjevic ranks ninth in assists with 7.34 per game.

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