SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The No. 6 Oregon volleyball team swept its way past UC Santa Barbara powered by its .405 hitting percentage, a second outing of the season at .400 or higher. The Ducks are now 5-0 this season having swept their opponent in four of the five matches.
The trio of Mimi Colyer, Gabby Gonzales and Morgan Lewis combined for 30 kills, committing just five attack errors in the process. Colyer led all players with 15 kills to go along with a .538 (15-1-26) figure. Gonzales had eight kills coupled with nine digs and Lewis put down seven kills while hitting .545 against the Gauchos.
In running the show, setter Hannah Pukis recorded 34 assists, 10 digs, five kills, three blocks and an ace. Middle blocker Kara McGhee posted a match-high five blocks and added four kills in the sweep.
How It Happened
In a back-and-forth start to Friday’s match, the first set against the Gauchos featured 10 ties and xx lead changes. At 16-all, the Ducks rattled off four of the five points to create some cushion on the scoreboard at 20-17. Santa Barbara got to within two but Oregon put down three-consecutive kills including two by Morgan Lewis to secure the opener.
The Gauchos held an early 3-2 lead in the second but Oregon responded immediately, jumping out to a 10-5 lead and forcing UCSB to call timeout. The Ducks stretched their lead to double digits at 19-9 with a kill by Bacon and the advantage never dipped below 10 after that point.
Oregon hit .519 in the second frame. Individually, Morgan Lewis had four of her seven kills in the set and finished the match hitting .545 against the Gauchos.
A set away from the sweep, the Ducks won the first five points of the third including a pair of aces from libero Georgia Murphy. The team used another surge, this time six in a row, to take an 11-3 lead after a pair of aces from Daley McClellan and a kill by Colyer.
Santa Barbara (4-1) began to chip away and pulled to within three—UO leading 15-12—but the Ducks rattled off three in a row for an 18-12 advantage on the heels of a Colyer-McGhee block. An ace off the hand of Elise Ferreira, Oregon’s fifth of the set, sent the Ducks to match point and Gonzales sealed the deal with a kill.
Notable
Freshman Kate Thibault made her collegiate debut, checking in to serve for Colyer in the second set.
Up Next
Oregon closes out the SDSU Invitational with a Saturday match against Pepperdine at 1 p.m. (PT).
Season tickets, starting at just $54 for a 10-match home schedule, are available through the UO ticket office or by clicking HERE. The Ducks’ home opener will double as their Pac-12 opener Friday, Sept. 22, against Oregon State.
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