Lori Baird registers team-high 15 kills.
Oct. 27, 2008
EUGENE, Ore. - Lori Baird totaled 15 kills, two service aces and two blocks but the University of Utah volleyball team had its eight-match win streak snapped at No. 7 Oregon (17-25, 26-24, 15-25, 22-25) in a 3-1 non-conference loss Monday at McArthur Court.
"This was a good match for us to learn a lot from," head coach Beth Launiere said. "We play teams like Oregon to see where we stand nationally and to find out what we need to work on. I am proud of our team because we adjusted and got better as the match went on."
Utah (15-5) was outhit .353 to .252 and outblocked 10.5-3 in the match. Baird committed only two attack errors while tallying a team-high 15 kills on 29 attempts for a .448 hitting percentage. The Murray, Utah native finished second on the team with two blocks.
"[Baird] really had a big-time performance against a big-time team," Launiere said. "She made some big plays and has been playing really well for us lately."
Senior outside hitter Kathryn Haynie registered 15 digs and 14 kills for her 17th career double-double performance and her fifth of the season. Haynie also served a pair of service aces.
Karolina Bartkowiak earned eight kills on 19 attempts for a .316 hitting percentage with a pair of attack errors. Emillie Toone recorded six kills, while Stephanie Shardlow set up 29 kills for the Utes and Abby Simmons set up 16.
Chelsey Sandberg came up with a team-high three blocks. The Utes got their first block of the match from Sandberg and Baird midway through the second set. Libero Keisha Fisher turned in 14 digs from the back row
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In a first set filled with extended scoring runs, a 5-0 Duck run made the first-set score 5-1. The Utes stormed back with a run of its own by scoring six consecutive points to take an 8-7 lead. Oregon responded with a 7-1 run to seize a 14-9 advantage, and Utah would never get within three points as it dropped the opener, 25-17.
The Utes were outhit .600 to .429 in the first set as Baird and Haynie tallied six kills apiece. The Ducks converted 18 of 30 attack attempts and Utah could only come manage two blocks, compared to three for Oregon. Utah dropped to 2-5 this season after suffering a loss in the first set of a match.
The topsy-turvy second set remained tied until both teams reached 23 points when Oregon's final point of the set would give them a 24-23 lead. Utah came back with kills from Toone and Baird along with an Oregon attack error that helped the Utes surge to a 26-24 second-set victory.
"I was really proud of how we battled back when down 24-23," Launiere said. "We just came together and made the big plays that we needed to win the set."
The offenses slowed down in the second set, with Utah holding a .195 to .100 edge in hitting. Baird led the Ute attack with four more kills in the second set to go along with two blocks.
Utah gave up the first three points of the third set en route to a 7-2 deficit. The Ducks would extend their advantage to 17-10 and rolled to a 25-15 win.
The Utes fell behind 5-3 in the fourth set and after a 5-1 Duck run, they found themselves at a 10-4 deficit. Consecutive kills by Cinthia Silva, Bartkowiak and Haynie brought the Utes back to within three points at 10-7 and Oregon extended its margin to five points at 20-15. Utah worked the deficit back to three points at 23-20, but could not pull out the win and fell 25-22.
No. 7 Oregon (18-4) was led by a match-high 18 kills from Gorana Maricic, while Neticia Enesi had a .714 hitting percentage with 11 kills on 14 attempts and one attack error.
The Utes put their seven-match Mountain West Conference win streak on the line Thursday at 7 p.m., against New Mexico at Crimson Court. Utah then hosts TCU Sunday at 1 p.m., in a match to be aired on CBS College Sports Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.
