Oregon Volleyball: Ducks Win Thriller vs Minnesota After Epic Second Set
The Oregon Ducks and Minnesota saw their second meeting of the season in the NCAA Tournament and the road team gave the Golden Gophers their first home loss of the season.
It was a big stage on Friday against the host team in Minnesota and the Oregon Ducks Volleyball team showed they belonged among the Elite of College Volleyball by putting together a performance that made history. Oregon fell behind early losing the first set to Minnesota 25-21, but the second set was one to remember.
It was a battle from the start and by the time it was finished over 30 minutes after it started, Oregon pulled even with Minnesota after a 41-39 win that saw more than ten opportunities for a team win. In Volleyball you need to win by two points, and it was a drama filled for at least 20 minutes. The Ducks has 32 kills in the second set alone.
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Ronika Stone led the charge with 20 kills in the game. Lindsey Vander Weide finished with 17 as the Ducks two top players played what may have been the best game of their respective careers on the road and in hostile territory sending the home crowd home with the first loss of the season for the Golden Gophers.
Oregon has scheduled very well over the three years facing the best of College Volleyball to start the season. The VERT Challenge was a big part of even this season’s success. (The VERT Challenge saw the Ducks face Nebraska and Texas this season.) The team Oregon will face for a chance at the Final Four will be Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers advanced to the Regional Final and will face the Oregon Ducks. Nebraska is seeded 7th in the NCAA Tournament and lost to Minnesota twice this season, so facing a team on the other side of the bracket could help their cause. With the Final Four on the line, Oregon again will need to play their best Volleyball, and the game on Friday will be hard to top.
The Oregon Ducks and Nebraska Cornhuskers will see first serve on Saturday at 3 pm on ESPNU.