Ducks Resolute As They Look To Bounce Back

In his first season as Oregon volleyball coach, Matt Ulmer set out to instill positive energy in the Ducks, from which they feed on the court.

This week, Ulmer has seen a different tone from the Ducks. And he likes what he's seen.

No. 12 Oregon heads to the mountains this week, to face No. 15 Utah on Friday (5 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network) and Colorado on Saturday. The Ducks do so bearing the weight of defeat, after win streaks of seven straight matches and 18 straight sets ended last Friday at UCLA.

"It's impossible to win every point," UO sophomore Ronika Stone said. "But every time we lose I'm shocked, because we know how good we can be. UCLA is a very good team, but we can't let them take control like that."

Oregon (8-2, 1-1 Pac-12) won its conference opener last week in a Civil War matchup in Matthew Knight Arnea. The Ducks went to Los Angeles with a top-10 ranking, but played unevenly despite winning the first set from the Bruins. Sensing the chance for an upset, UCLA grabbed momentum, and won the final three sets.

Playing a tough opponent in front of a hostile crowd, Ulmer got a chance to see how his Ducks would respond.

"We didn't get it together until the fourth set, but at that point we'd created a monster, and we doubted ourselves," Ulmer said. "I was disappointed with how we reacted. We didn't fight, we didn't get more determined when we had some pressure against us. So we can get better."

In the wake of defeat, players said they played out of character. Junior Lindsey Vander Weide said the Ducks got out of system, trying to do things on their own. Stone, who can be an intimidating presence on the front line as she dances and laughs between points, lost some of her swagger.

This week, fall classes began at the university, and Ulmer scheduled an off day Monday so the Ducks could adjust. In the practices since, he's been no-nonsense.

"I've pushed them, and they fought back," he said. "I like the aggression I'm seeing. I think they're hungry to get back on the floor."

A silver lining from the opening week was the play of Vander Weide, a returning third-team all-American. The junior is still off pace with a .256 hitting percentage for the season, but that got a boost from her .414 opening week in the Pac-12.

The Civil War was preceded by an extended break in Oregon's schedule, during which Vander Weide "had time to connect with the setters," she said.

"It made a big difference for her," Ulmer said. "I'm happy for her. She doesn't love to adjust; that's not her favorite thing. But she did a nice job with the week off, and we saw huge results this last week."

The trip to Utah and Colorado this week is rife with challenges. The Utes are the Pac-12's second-most prolific offense, behind the Ducks, and are led by hitter Adora Anea. Once that match concludes, the Ducks will have less than 24 hours to travel from Salt Lake City to Boulder, Colo., before taking the floor against the Buffaloes.

If that's aggravating for the Ducks, well, maybe that's just the sort of fuel they need after the disappointment in Los Angeles.

"We know how we just played on the road; we know we have to do better than that," Vander Weide said. "It's an exciting challenge."