THE FINAL REVIEW
Oregon’s record-breaking season came to an end on Dec. 7, when the ninth-ranked Ducks lost in four games to then-eighth ranked UCLA in the third round of the NCAA Tournament at Maples Pavilion.
The season ended with Oregon advancing the farthest it ever had in the NCAA Tournament - the Sweet 16 - and ending the year with its most wins (22) since 1986.
Along the way, the 2007 Oregon volleyball team set new individual and team records, and also earned some very distinct honors.

NON CONFERENCE
Oregon began its season on a 10-match winning streak, a feat that had only been accomplished twice previously, in 1984 and 2006. But what was unprecedented about the Ducks run, was that the team did not drop a single game in that stretch, going a flawless 30-0 – something never achieved by a previous Oregon squad.
The Ducks won two non-conference tournaments, their season-opening Oregon Kickoff Classic, as well as the Baylor Invitational in Waco, Texas. Oregon’s last test of the preseason was in Columbus, Ohio, where the Ducks faced foes in Purdue and then No. 20 Ohio State at the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge. Oregon’s winning streak ended in four games at the hands of the Boilermakers, but team responded with a three-game sweep of the Buckeyes the following day.

CONFERENCE
Oregon finished its Pac-10 season 9-9, its best record since the 1989 squad went 10-8. The Ducks tied for fifth place with UCLA, the program’s best standing since 1989 as well. Oregon’s conference season was littered with ups and downs. In the opener at Mac Court, the Ducks squandered a 2-0 lead against then eighth-ranked Washington and lost in five, but responded by winning its next three matches. A tough schedule had Oregon playing four consecutive top-10 opponents, each match resulting in a loss. Oregon ended that rough patch with a win at rival Oregon State, and another victory at home against Arizona, but took what could have been a fateful misstep with a 3-1 loss to unranked Arizona State on Oct. 26. The Ducks lost two more at Stanford and Cal, before regrouping for one of the best weekend’s in Oregon volleyball history.
For the first time ever, Oregon defeated two top-10 opponents back-to-back. The Ducks knocked off the No. 6 USC, 3-1, before sweeping past then ninth-ranked UCLA. The Ducks picked up two additional victories after that weekend before dropping their final game of the regular season at Washington.

NCAA TOURNAMENT - ROUND ONE
#13 Oregon 3, Missouri State 0 (Ahearn Field House; Manhattan, Kansas)
The Oregon volleyball team advanced out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 23 years with a three-game sweep (31-29, 30-20, 31-29) to knock off Missouri State at Ahearn Field House on Nov. 30.
Pac-10 all-conference selection Gorana Maricic led the Ducks with her 12th double-double of the season, 24 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore Sonja Newcombe added 13 kills.
On defense junior Katie Swoboda had a match-high 15 digs, and sophomore Neticia Enesi led Oregon with six total blocks.
Setter Nevena Djordjevic finished the match with 20 assists, while adding two crucial kills during Oregon’s last five points of game three.
Oregon hit .277 and held the Bears to .167. It was the 15th time this season the Ducks have held an opponent under .200.
QUICK QUACKS: Oregon’s last win in the NCAA Tournament came on Dec.1, 1984 in a five-game match with Hawai’i...this was head coach Jim Moore’s first postseason victory with Oregon and the 21st of his career.

NCAA TOURNAMENT - ROUND TWO
#13 Oregon 3, #11 Kansas State 2 (Ahearn Field House; Manhattan, Kansas)
Oregon pieced together a valiant and inspiring comeback on the home floor of No. 9 seed Kansas State, and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in the program’s history with 3-2 (24-30, 20-30, 30-27, 36-34, 15-11) victory over the Wildcats at Ahearn Field House. For the first time all year, Oregon rebounded from an 0-2 deficit.
It was only fitting that senior Karen Waddington provided match point with a solo stuff on 11th-ranked Kansas State’s last attempt. In game four, Oregon staved off elimination on three separate match points, as the score was tied at each point from 26-34. Newcombe led Oregon with 22 kills on a .348 attacking percentage, and a season-high 26.0 points. Junior Gorana Maricic added 18 kills, after being held to four in the first two games.
The Ducks hit .255 in the match, compared to Kansas State’s .314, but totaled 17.0 blocks and a match-high 74 digs, led by Katie Swoboda’s 17. Junior Kristen Forristall led Oregon with a season-high nine blocks, the most any Duck player has produced this season, while Waddington added seven. Freshman Heather Meyers set a new season high with 19 kills, hitting a team-best .432.
Djordjevic, who partnered with Rachel Morris to run the offense, set a new season high with 46 assists. Morris’ tally of 30 was also a season high.
QUICK QUACKS: The Ducks set new single-match season highs in points (101.0), kills (82), block assists (32) and assists (80).

NCAA TOURNAMENT - SWEET 16
#8 UCLA 3, #9 Oregon 1 (Maples Pavilion; Stanford, Calif.)
The ninth-ranked Oregon volleyball team’s run in the NCAA Tournament ended at the hands of a familiar foe in No. 8 UCLA on Dec. 7 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif.
Playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time in the program’s history, Oregon failed to mount a second straight 0-2 comeback in the tourney, falling in four (23-30, 19-30, 30-28, 24-30) to the Bruins.
Oregon had advanced to the Sweet 16 after coming back from a 0-2 deficit on the home floor of Kansas State last Saturday.
Maricic led all players with 30 kills against UCLA, hitting the benchmark for the third time this season. The AVCA All-Region selection’s 14 digs gave her the 14th double-double of her season.
UCLA had a quartet of hitters reach double figures, led by Ali Daley’s 15 kills. Kaitlin Sather and Dicey McGraw added 13 each, while Rachell Johnson chipped in 12.
While the Bruins put together a balanced attack, it was their defense that continuously halted the Ducks.
UCLA totaled 92 digs on Oregon’s 211 attempts. The Bruins also compiled 15.5 blocks, led by nine from Katie Mills, and holding the Ducks to a .166 attacking percentage. It was just the seventh time this season an Oregon opponent has been able to stifle the Ducks under that clip.

OREGON TOURNEY HISTORY
In 2006, Moore led the Oregon volleyball team to its first winning season since 1990, and more importantly, its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1989. The Ducks were rewarded with No. 12 Hawai’i in the first round, and fell 3-0 at the Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif.
Prior to this season’s victories, the Ducks had not won a match in the NCAA Tournament, since defeating Hawai’i in five games on Dec. 1, 1984. Oregon lost to ninth-ranked San Jose State in three games, the following round.
Including this season, Oregon has made six appearances in the NCAA Tournament (1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 2006, 2007). The Ducks are now 3-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

ALL-AMERICAN STATUS
Oregon junior outside hitter Gorana Maricic became just the second player in the volleyball program’s history to receive All-American honors, after being named to the AVCA Division I All-American Second Team on Dec. 12.
A first-year player for the Ducks, Maricic led the country’s top volleyball conference, the Pacific-10, with 6.07 points and 5.50 kills per game.
In addition, Maricic becomes the first Oregon player in 23 seasons to be named an All-American for the volleyball program. In 1984, Sue Harbour was named All-America First Team CVCA.
Maricic redshirted for Oregon in 2006 after leaving Northwoods University, where she played during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. At Northwoods, Maricic was named an AVCA Division II Second-Team All-American as a sophomore in 2005. She becomes the first player in the history of the award to earn All-American honors at both the Div. I and Div. II levels.
Maricic set numerous individual records for Oregon, including three new single-season titles. The Subotica, Serbia native, totaled 679.5 total points, 5.5 kills per game and 6.07 points per game - all new single-season program standards.
The 6-foot-3 outside hitter was recently named to All-Pac-10 Team, the first Oregon player since Madeline Ernst in 1998 to earn the honor.
Maricic was also named National Player of the Week (Nov. 12), after leading the Ducks to back-to-back victories over two top-10 opponents. During a 3-1 victory over then 6th-ranked USC, Maricic led the Ducks with a match-high 29 kills (.436) and 14 digs. The next night while sweeping past then ninth-ranked UCLA, Maricic again posted a match-best 25 kills (.327) and 12 digs. She was also was named Pac-10 Player of the Week for her efforts, the only Oregon player to win the award this season.
Maricic totaled 14 double-doubles on the year, and on three occasions, cracked the 30-kill benchmark. In 33 matches, Maricic failed to reach double-figure kills only once.
In three postseason matches, Maricic averaged 6.45 points, 6.00 kills and 3.58 digs per game.
She ended her season with 679.5 total points, while averaging 5.5 kills and 2.62 digs per game. She also hit .273 on the year.
This is the 15th All-American that Moore has coached during his 19-year tenure.

THE LAST SIX
Prior to its loss to #8 UCLA in the NCAA Sweet 16, Oregon had remarkably won six of its last seven matches...the only blemish was a 3-1 loss to then sixth-ranked Washington in the regular season finale in Seattle (11/23)...three of those six victories have come against top-25 teams; then No. 6 USC (Nov. 8), then No. 9 UCLA (Nov. 9) and then No. 11 Kansas State (Dec. 1)...during the last seven matches, Oregon hit .266 and held opponents to a .229 attacking percentage...Gorana Maricic (6.12 kpg, .281), Sonja Newcombe (3.69 kpg, .209) and Heather Meyers (3.58, .360) led the way offensively while Neticia Enesi (1.46 bpg) and Katie Swoboda (5.46 dpg) post solid defensive numbers...Nevena Djordjevic (9.23 apg) and Rachel Morris (5.92 apg) ran the attack.

PAC-10 HONORS
Four members of the Oregon volleyball team received Pacific-10 all-conference honors following the end of the regular season. Junior outside hitter Gorana Maricic, the Pac-10’s leader in kills and points per game, was the only Duck to make the All-Pac-10 team, while junior Katie Swoboda, sophomore Sonja Newcombe and freshman Heather Meyers were honorable mentions.
Meyers, Oregon’s second Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 recruit in head coach Jim Moore’s tenure, was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team in addition to her all-conference honorable mention. It was the third consecutive year Oregon has placed one player on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team...Newcombe was named Pac-10 honorable mention for the second consecutive season...Swoboda was also named Pac-10 Freshman honorable mention in 2005.

BRAINS AND BRAWN
Four University of Oregon volleyball players received Pac-10 All-Academic honors.
To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall gpa grade-point average and either be a starter or significant contributor.
Sophomore Nevena Djordjevic was named to the second team. It is the seventh consecutive season the Ducks have placed at least one player on either the first or second Pac-10 All-Academic team.
Djordjevic maintains a 3.50 gpa and is an undeclared major.
Senior Karen Waddington, junior Kristen Forristall and sophomore Sonja Newcombe were named Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention. It is the second straight honor for Waddington.
MOORE OF THE RECORD WATCH
With his 3-1 victory over Oregon State on Nov. 16, Jim Moore picked up the 400th win of his coaching career. At the conclusion of his 19th season in coaching, Moore has a record of 403-197 (.672). In his three seasons at Oregon, he is 51-41.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Oregon ended the year ranked ninth in nation in the final 2007 CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches’ Top 25 Poll on Dec. 19. There were six Pac-10 teams that finished in the nation’s top 10; led by #2 Stanford, #3 USC, #4 California, #7 UCLA, #9 Oregon and #10 Washington.
Oregon’s No. 9 ranking is the highest ever for the program. The Ducks were in the country’s top 25 for 12 weeks total, after debuting at No. 24 on Sept. 17.

MILESTONES
Oregon’s 22 wins are its most since 1986...the Ducks also posted two straight seasons of finishing above .500, a feat not accomplished since the 1989 and 1990 seasons...Oregon finished tied for fifth in the Pac-10 with UCLA, that was the program’s top standing in the conference since 1989...the Ducks also established a new single-season record for attacking percentage, hitting .267 on the year...the previous clip was .249, set in 2004.

HEAD COACH JIM MOORE
In 2006, head coach Jim Moore became the first Oregon volleyball coach to win Pac-10 Coach of the Year Honors after leading the Ducks to their best overall (17-12) and conference (7-11) marks in nearly two decades. Moore, who just concluded his 19th year as a collegiate head coach, began UO’s transformation in 2005 by leading the Ducks to their highest win total (12) and winning percentage (.400) in 14 seasons. Moore has compiled an overall mark of 403-197 (.672) during a career that has also included stops at Northern Michigan, Kansas State, Texas and Chico State. His 1993 Northern Michigan team won the NCAA II National Championship.
In the three seasons prior to Moore’s arrival, Oregon amassed a 24-64 record, and registered just two Pac-10 wins. Since Moore took over the reins in 2005, the Ducks’ volleyball program has gone 51-41, won 17 Pac-10 matches and made two trips to the postseason.

CAN U DIG IT – SWOBODA BREAKS THE RECORD
Junior Katie Swoboda currently holds Oregon’s all-time career digs record with 1,599 and climbing. She broke the record on Nov. 16 against Oregon State, surpassing Teri Kramer’s mark of 1,481 that had been in place since 1987. Swoboda, also named Pac-10 honorable mention this year, finished the season third in the conference averaging 5.33 digs per game. That mark may have been third in the Pac-10, but she set a new Oregon single-season average for digs per game. The Portland native broke her own record (5.28) set a season ago. She now holds the top three single-season dig marks in Duck volleyball history.
She also finished the season with 586 digs, another Oregon single-season record.

HARDCORE HITTER
Freshman outside hitter Heather Meyers is the second Volleyball Magazine ‘Fab 50’ recruit for Jim Moore during his tenure at Oregon, the first being Sonja Newcombe. And just like Newcombe made a vital impact a year ago, Meyers is quick to follow. The Temecula, Calif., native was named to the Kickoff Classic all-tourney team, earned the Tournament MVP award at the Baylor Invitational and was named the top server at the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge.
The 5-foot-11 outside hitter led Oregon and finished fourth in the Pac-10 with a .347 (347-110-683) attacking percentage. Not only did the mark rank tops in the nation for true freshmen, it also now stands as the second best Oregon single-season clip.
Meyers finished her rookie year being named to the Pac-10 All-Freshmen team, averaging 3.10 kills, 0.88 assists, 0.94 digs and 0.62 blocks per game.
With one of the most dangerous serves on the squad, Meyers led Oregon as well as the conference with 0.41 service aces per game.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP
For the second consecutive season, sophomore Sonja Newcombe was named Pac-10 honorable mention. The Ducks’ leader on the floor finished the season averaging 4.20 points, 3.54 kills and 2.61 digs per game.
She led the Ducks with 22 kills at No. 11 Kansas State, and in the postseason averaged 4.29 points, 3.67 kills and 2.75 digs per game. Her 470.5 points this season ranks fourth all time, and her average of 4.20 points per game is seventh. In two years with Oregon, Newcombe has totaled 927.0 points (third all-time).

SOPHOMORE SENSATIONS
Both middle blocker Neticia Enesi and setter Nevena Djordjevic were named Pac-10 All-Freshman team honorable mention selections in 2006.
Djordjevic led Oregon with 8.62 assists per game, running a 6-2 offense with freshman setter Rachel Morris.
Djordjevic finished the season with five double-doubles, including 46 assists and 11 digs at 11th ranked Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
At 5-foot-10, Djordjevic also has the knack for dumping deceptive kills from time-to-time, totaling 47 on the year.
In the postseason, Djordjevic averaged 9.33 assists per game, reaching her season high total of 46 twice in the second round at Kansas State and the third round against UCLA.
Enesi started all but one match this season, and averaged 2.38 points per game. The Dalles, Ore., native set season highs with 17.0 points and 12 kills at then No. 4 UCLA on Oct. 11. Against Oregon State (Nov. 16), she hit the 12-kill mark for the second time, while cumulating eight total blocks. In the postseason, Enesi totaled 10 blocks and averaged 0.92 kills per game.

RELYING ON RACHEL
At the beginning of the season head coach Jim Moore said his team’s ability to play a 6-2 lineup would be weighted on the ability of his freshman setters. Obviously Moore sees potential in 5-foot-9 setter Rachel Morris. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., native finished her rookie year averaging 5.08 assists per game, setting a new season high with 39 at Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament second round.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Maricic wasn’t the only player sitting out last season, beside her was junior Kristen Forristall. The Oregon City native sat out last year after ending her collegiate basketball career and making the switch to volleyball.
The 6-foot-2 middle blocker started 26 of Oregon’s 33 matches in 2007, leading the team with 117 total blocks this year. Forristall’s .305 attacking percentage was second on the roster, and also 10th in the Pac-10.
As the team neared the postseason, the newcomer became an influential and emotional leader on the floor. In three postseason matches, Forristall averaged 2.38 points and 1.33 blocks per game. In the second round match at Kansas State, she set a season-high with nine blocks, the most any Duck player produced in 2007. She also matched her season high of nine kills, and set a new career high with 13.5 points against the Wildcats.

SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE
Oregon’s loss to #8 UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 marked the last collegiate match for senior Karen Waddington. Waddington leaves the Ducks’ program having played in 342 games (105 matches), averaging 1.01 kills per game. She ends her career with 310 blocks - a mark that stands ninth all-time. Her 274 block assists rank fifth in volleyball program history.

UNSUNG HEROES
While Oregon’s regular starters receive most of the hype, freshman Coco Yokoyama, sophomore Amanda Westrick and junior Marija Milosevic contributed on the practice floor and in matches this season.
Yokoyama, one of two back up liberos to Katie Swoboda, suffered an injury in postseason practice that ended things for her early.
Westrick was instrumental in helping Oregon gat past Kansas State. When the season started head coach Jim Moore said it would be his responsibility to find the best times in matches to use the Bonney lake, Wash., native’s potent serve. He chose to use it in game five at Kansas State. Ahead by just one, Oregon rallied off three consecutive points on Westrick’s service to take a 13-9 lead.
While the Ducks didn’t end up on the winning end of the spectrum against #8 UCLA in the Sweet 16., Miloseivc added a much-needed jolt of energy in Oregon’s 3-1 loss.
Down 0-2 at the break, the Ducks came out of intermission firing on all cylinders, taking an early 10-6 lead in game three. The game was then tied at 15-15, but the Bruins responded to take a 25-21 lead that looked as if it would be too much for Oregon to overcome.
But Moore inserted Milosevic into the lineup, sparking a 9-3 run to end game three in the Ducks favor, 30-28. In that match she set season highs with eight kills and seven digs.

PRESEASON TOURNEY HONORS
Oregon competed in three tournaments during 2007, the Oregon Kickoff Classic, Baylor Invitational and Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge. Freshman Heather Meyers and Katie Swoboda were honorees at all three tournaments, while sophomore Sonja Newcombe was the MVP at the Kickoff Classic and also was named to the all-tourney team at the Baylor Invitational. Junior Gorana Maricic was named to the all-tournament teams at both the Kickoff Classic and Baylor Invite.

CATCH THE FEVER
Oregon’s Civil War match against the Beavers drew 2,777 to Mac Court on Nov. 16, the largest crowd of the year and the second-largest in program history. The Ducks’ Pac-10 opener against Washington drew 2,375 fans to McArthur Court on Friday, Sept. 21, the sixth-largest crowd in the history of the program.
In nine Pac-10 matches at Mac Court this year, Oregon averaged a crowd of 1,409.

THE PRESEASON
Since head coach Jim Moore’s arrival, Oregon has been only two wins short of flawless in non-conference matches, culminating a 32-2 record during three seasons. His .941 winning percentage against non-conference competition is easily the best of any previous Oregon volleyball coach.

TUNE-UPS
It seemed as if it would not be the easiest of tasks for Moore to keep up that winning percentage in 2007, scheduling the most demanding non-conference lineup since coming to Eugene. But Moore and the Ducks passed with flying colors. Oregon defeated both Big XII opponents (Kansas and Baylor) on their schedule in three-game sweeps. The Ducks also swept past 2006 second-round NCAA Tourney team Stephen F. Austin. Undoubtedly the Ducks largest test was at the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge against Purdue and No. 20 Ohio State - two teams that reached the Sweet 16 in 2006. Oregon suffered a misstep in 1-3 loss to Purdue, but responded by sweeping (30-17, 30-18, 30-27) the then 20th-ranked Buckeyes on the final day of the tournament.

RETURN OF THE MAC
The Ducks’ resurgence caused a spike in attendance at McArthur Court last season, resulting in an average crowd of 1,090. Four of Oregon’s top 10 crowds of all-time have been set in the past two seasons, including a season-high 2,777 against Oregon State on Nov. 16, 2007.
Top 10 McArthur Court Crowds
1. 3,716 vs. Oregon State, Oct. 18, 1996
2. 2,777 vs. Oregon, Nov. 16, 2007
3. 2,672 vs. Washington, Nov. 3, 2006
4. 2,474 vs. Stanford, Oct. 10, 1987
5. 2,465 vs. UCLA, Sept. 26, 1987
6. 2,375 vs. Washington, Sept. 21, 2007
7. 2,260 vs. Oregon State, Sept. 29, 2006
8. 1,902 vs. Oregon State, Sept. 24, 2004
9. 1,877 vs. Washington, Nov. 14, 1986
10. 1,863 vs. Stanford, Nov. 2, 2001