Following a four-match sweep at home, No. 7 Stanford women’s volleyball (15-5, 9-3 Pac-12) will travel north to face off against Oregon (11-10, 5-7) in Eugene on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. Stanford has had mixed success away from home this season and is looking for a win to begin its four-game road trip to the Pacific Northwest on a positive note.
When these teams met earlier this season at Maples Pavilion, Stanford won in four sets. Since then, Oregon has continued to struggle, going 2-4 against a slate of conference matchups. The Cardinal have historically dominated the Ducks, with the all-time record standing 55-4 in Stanford’s favor. In fact, the Cardinal are currently riding a seven-game win streak against the Ducks that extends back to 2011.
With a five-set win over Colorado last Saturday, Oregon moved above .500 for the season and looks to build momentum with a victory over the Cardinal. So far, the Ducks have looked strongest on the road, amassing an 8-5 away record, while going 2-2 when playing at neutral sites. Oregon has only won a single game in Eugene this season, although it has only played four home games, so the sample size isn’t too big.
The Ducks will look to senior outside hitter Martenne Bettendorf to lead the attack. She is currently ranked No. 10 in the Pac-12 in kills and points, with a team-leading 3.60 kills and 4.01 points per set. Her dominant play against Colorado gave the Ducks an advantage, particularly in the final set, in which she registered nearly half of the team’s 13 kills.
Junior libero Amanda Benson stars defensively, leading the team with 358 digs. Her 4.47 digs per set place her second in the Pac-12, while the Oregon team as a whole ranks fourth in digs. Benson has been putting in strong performances all season, seeking to break Oregon program records for career digs per set and single-season digs. As it stands, she ranks second in both categories.
Stanford, known for its home-court dominance, has had an equal number of wins and losses on the road (4-4). The Cardinal have asserted themselves in the last two weeks at home, beginning with a five-set thriller over then-No. 4 Washington on Oct. 21. Now, the team must prove itself capable of the same high-caliber play outside of Maples Pavilion. In this final stretch of the regular season, the Cardinal will play eight conference matchups, including a road rematch with Washington (currently No. 3). A win over unranked Oregon could help them gain and maintain the momentum they need in their push toward the postseason.
Reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week Halland McKenna will look to continue her powerful play after setting a career high against Arizona last week with 27 digs in four sets. The libero has been putting up strong numbers recently, registering double digits in digs 15 times this season, including her current six-game streak. She now ranks No. 10 in the Pac-12 in digs per set.
While this honor was the first weekly recognition for McKenna, fellow freshman Hayley Hodson has been named Freshman of the Week four times this season in recognition of her outstanding play as an outside hitter. Hodson ranks in the Pac-12 top 10 in three big categories: service aces (23), points per set (4.53) and kills per set (3.84).
Stanford faces off with Oregon at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5. The match will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
Contact Olivia Hummer at ohummer ‘at’ stanford.edu.