UO assistant coach Erika Dillard had a message for the Ducks before they headed to the meeting room — bring a pen. Before breaking down film of the Cornhuskers, the UO women would each fill out a few thank-you cards for athletic department staff who had helped the program host the first two rounds of the tournament in Matthew Knight Arena the previous weekend.
That bit of gratitude consumed a few minutes, and then the Ducks got down to business scouting Nebraska. As the team’s tournament run continues, the program continues to balance that mix: appreciating their postseason experience, while also putting in the preparation to keep it going as long as possible.
“We’ve proven it now, but we’re one of the top eight teams in the country,” senior outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller said Friday, following a brief practice session at the KFC Yum! Center. “I truthfully think anyone can win at this point — and we’re definitely one of those teams.”
The Ducks trailed by a set twice before completing an epic comeback to beat the Cornhuskers in five sets Thursday. Following that match, host Louisville swept Baylor, setting up a matchup in the Elite Eight between the third-seeded Ducks and top-seeded Cardinals for the regional title Saturday (1 p.m. PT, ESPNU).
The last time Oregon reached the Elite Eight was in 2018. That Sweet Sixteen round featured a similar script, with a marathon win over Minnesota that included an epic set Oregon won by a score of 41-39. But the aftermath is different this time around — instead of playing the Elite Eight the next day, as the Ducks did in 2018 when they lost to Nebraska the following day, the NCAA now provides a day between rounds for the second weekend of the tournament.
“Having this day to totally recover, get our minds right, is a really big deal,” said Nuneviller, a freshman libero on that 2018 team. “I think everyone on our team woke up (Friday) feeling pretty tired, and that’s pretty typical after a long, five-set match — even it it was at 11 a.m. Having this day is awesome for us.”
That’s particularly true given that, as Nuneviller pointed out, Oregon endured a marathon Thursday while Louisville comfortably swept Baylor. But along with physical recovery, having a day off allowed the Ducks to spend Thursday night not cramming for another match the next day, but…
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