Home Opener Beckons In Oregon Classic

EUGENE, Ore. — As the Oregon volleyball team took the court to face then-No. 5 Nebraska before some 7,500 fans at the VERT Challenge in Florida last week, first-year UO coach Matt Ulmer sat back and took in the atmosphere.

Making his debut as head coach with the Ducks, Ulmer wanted to see how his players would handle it. As they quickly fell behind to the Cornhuskers, Ulmer held his tongue. At 4-0, he called timeout. At 10-2, he took another. It was time to loosen the reins.

With Ulmer directing traffic from the bench, the Ducks rallied back to win the first set, 25-20, sparking a four-set victory over Nebraska. Oregon then took the opening set against top-ranked Texas a day later, before dropping that match in four.

This weekend, the No. 14 UO volleyball team opens its home schedule by hosting the four-team Oregon Classic in Matthew Knight Arena beginning Thursday. And for the time being, Ulmer plans to maintain a prominent presence on the bench.

"For me, it was trying to figure what role I'm going to play with my team as much as them figuring out what roles they're going to play," Ulmer said Wednesday. "I think I was able to figure that out. Hopefully as the season goes on and we get more comfortable with ourselves, I won't have to do that as much. But for now, that's kind of how it worked out."

The Ducks will make their regular-season home debut Thursday when they host Texas-Rio Grande Valley at 7 p.m. In Friday's triple-header, Northern Illinois faces Loyola Marymount at 11 a.m., UTRGV takes on Northern Illinois at 6 p.m. and the Ducks host Loyola Marymount at 8 p.m. On Saturday, Oregon hosts Northern Illinois at noon and UTGRV closes out the tournament against Loyola Marymount at 2 p.m.

Last week's openers featured the typical first-week technical breakdowns, Ulmer said. But two factors fueled the Ducks to a 1-1 weekend against two elite teams, and they're two factors Ulmer most wanted to see from his team — mental focus, and positive energy.

The Ducks have proven time and again in recent years they can contend with other top teams in spurts. Competing for a Pac-12 title and making an extended NCAA Tournament run will require a more sustained effort, and Ulmer considered last weekend an encouraging start.

"We didn't play particularly well; we didn't execute well," he said. "But I thought we were really tough. … That was the best thing we did; we were really engaged, the whole time."

Thus, the challenge entering the Oregon Classic.

"We had one weekend of that; can we do that a second weekend," Ulmer said. "It needs to become a habit."

Aiding Oregon's focus level was a culture of positivity Ulmer has worked hard to foment. The Ducks were so energetic, Ulmer said, that he had opposing fans approach him last week and tell him how much they enjoyed watching Oregon, and that they'd root for the Ducks going forward.

Opposing teams, on the other hand, weren't so appreciative. Ulmer said the Ducks were "intimidating to the other side, with how much we were really enjoying the game."

"When they see how much you're having fun, that makes them envious and less focused," senior libero Alex Hojnar said. "It's a huge advantage."

Last week, of course, the Ducks would draw fuel from their underdog status, and from the huge crowd on hand for the Hawaii tournament. This weekend, Oregon will have to find new motivation, as a home favorite in Matthew Knight Arena.

"That's always a challenge, bringing the same energy, the same focus," Hojnar said. "I'm excited to see what we do."

University of Oregon Athletics

Players Mentioned

Alex Hojnar

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