Duck Volleyball Riding 4-Win Streak into Pac-12 Opener

Securing Victory Against Pittsburgh

In an intense battle on Thursday night, the No. 7 Oregon volleyball team managed to fend off a spirited comeback attempt by No. 8 Pittsburgh, clinching a thrilling five-set victory (26-24, 25-17, 18-25, 20-25, 15-13). While the Ducks initially held a 2-0 match lead before Pittsburgh fought back to force a decisive fifth set.

Morgan Lewis delivered a standout performance, notching a career-high 19 kills and matched her career-best with six blocks against the Panthers. Her contribution included three of the team’s final five points, including the decisive kill that sealed Oregon’s third ranked win of the season. Mimi Colyer equaled Lewis in kills and set a new career high with six aces.

This hard-fought victory pushed Oregon’s season record to 8-1 and put an end to Pittsburgh’s impressive 14-match winning streak on their home court. Hannah Pukis, with 45 assists and a team-leading 20 digs, secured her fifth double-double of the year, while libero Georgia Murphy also achieved a double-double, her third of her career, with 13 digs and 10 assists, including the assist on Lewis’ match-winning kill.

Collectively, Oregon showcased a season-best 14 team blocks. Kara McGhee tallied six blocks, while Pukis and Colby Neal, making her second start of the season, contributed five blocks each.

Spectacular Comeback Against James Madison

After the nail-biting encounter on Thursday evening, Oregon found themselves trailing James Madison 2-1 after three. This time it would be the Ducks’ turn to stage a rally to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory (25-20, 22-25, 18-25, 25-8, 15-10). The Ducks displayed remarkable resilience and a strong finish, hitting an impressive .486 in the final two sets and advancing their season record to 9-1.

Colyer would emerge as the hero of the match, leading all players with 20 kills, 10 of which came in sets four and five, along with eight digs and three blocks. Lewis contributed 15 kills and once again delivered the match’s winning kill.

Oregon showed a .313 hitting percentage, thanks to the impressive 42 assists from Pukis. The Ducks have now exceeded the .300 hitting percentage mark in seven out of their ten matches this season. Pukis and Murphy both recorded 14 digs in the match, with freshman Kate Thibault and senior Gabby Gonzales also reaching double figures with 11 and 10 digs, respectively.

On defense, Karson Bacon and Kara McGhee each contributed six blocks, with Bacon also chipping in seven kills.

No Mercy for Marquette

After their two matches in Pittsburg were stretched to 5-set challenges, the Ducks travelled to Milwaukie, WI to take down the Marquette University Golden Eagles in three sets (25-16, 25-19, 25-22).

Colyer led the team with 18 kills while Gonzales and Lewis each added 10. Colyer also notched 15 digs earning the double-double. Pukis shared in the achievement with 39 assists and 10 digs. Murphy added 14 digs of her own with 5 assists.

Defensively, McGhee had four blocks followed by Bacon and Pukis with three each.

Up Next

Oregon (10-1) is gearing up for its home opener, which will also mark the start of Pac-12 play on Friday, September 22, against Oregon State. Full Schedule