EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon head coach Matt Ulmer has announced the addition of Michelle Ohwobete, the 2023 Big West Player of the Year, to the Ducks’ roster. Ohwobete spent the previous three years at UC Santa Barbara where she eclipsed 1,000 career kills and was a three-time selection to the Big West First Team. She is set to join the team during the spring term.
In addition to conference accolades, Ohwobete was a 2023 AVCA and VolleyballMag.com All-America Honorable Mention performer. She put down a career-high 434 kills while hitting .254 this past season for the Gauchos. The UCSB standout also added 282 digs, 68.0 total blocks and 38 service aces, posting career highs in both digs and aces.
Ohwobete led UCSB to a 27-5 record in 2023 including a 17-1 mark in Big West play, and the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2019. She had 15 kills, seven digs and two blocks in a four-set loss to Houston in the first round.
The Oakland, Calif., native reached double-digit kills in 27 of 32 matches in 2023 with a season-high 21 kills against Pepperdine (Aug. 31) and Drake (Sept. 15). During the second weekend of the season, the Ducks faced UCSB (Sept. 1), and Ohwobete came away with 11 kills while hitting .320 to go along with three digs and an ace.
Ohwobete recorded 11 double-doubles this past season including a 15-kill, 15-dig effort against Utah (Sept. 8) in a five-set road win. She matched her season high with 15 digs in a home win over UC San Diego (Nov. 11). From the service line, Ohwobete had multiple aces in 10 matches including a career-best five at Cal Poly.
A standout from the beginning of her collegiate career, Ohwobete was the 2021 Big West Freshman of the Year after averaging 3.17 kills per set, 1.70 digs per set and 0.65 blocks per set. She also hit .250 in her first season with the Gauchos.
During her UCSB career, Ohwobete amassed 1,159 kills (3.35 k/s), 746 digs (2.16 d/s), 199 total blocks, 95 service aces and 27 double-doubles. She also averaged 3.95 points per set during her career in Santa Barbara.
Oregon finished the 2023 campaign with a 29-6 record—a program high for wins under Ulmer—and its second-consecutive trip to the Elite Eight. The Ducks spent the entire season inside the AVCA top 10 and checked in a No. 7 in the final poll.
In November, Oregon announced the signing of prep standouts Anaya Thrower (Vacaville, Calif.) and Mia Tvrdy (La Vista, Neb.).
For more news and information…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Oregon Athletics…