NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Oregon beach volleyball team concluded its season-opening weekend with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the University of New Orleans at the Green Wave Invitational on Saturday. The Ducks experienced a split result on Saturday, falling to the 20-ranked Tulane Green Wave in their earlier match. Oregon returns home with an overall record of 3-2.
UO duo Gwen Fife and AJ Slojkowski proved to be a consistent force for the Ducks, securing wins in both of their matches on Saturday and compiling a 4-1 record at the No. 3 pairs position throughout the weekend.
Match 4: #20 Tulane 3, Oregon 2
Tulane established an early 2-0 advantage after the initial round of matches, ultimately clinching the dual with a victory in the top pairing. However, Oregon prevented a complete sweep, earning points at the No. 3 and No. 5 pairs. The Ducks’ first point of the morning came courtesy of Natasha George and Katrena Koellner, who rallied to a three-set win, marking their second victory of the weekend.
Fife and Slojkowski kicked off their Saturday with a 21-18, 21-14 win, securing Oregon’s second tally against the 20-ranked team in the nation.
Here are the results from the match against Tulane:
Facing a 2-1 deficit in the weekend finale, the Ducks mounted a comeback, securing wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 pairs to clinch the victory. Hanna Bjornson and Sofia Taylor, competing at the No. 4 pairing, registered the first point of the dual before New Orleans responded with wins at courts two and five.
Fife and Slojkowski leveled the score at 2-2 with a 21-14, 21-15 result at No. 3, their fourth point of the weekend. All eyes then turned to court one, where Bella Gamache and Liz Rossi were on their way to a straight-set win that sealed the Ducks’ third victory of the weekend.
Here are the results from the match against New Orleans:
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 5, 3, 1*
Up Next: The Oregon beach volleyball team will travel to Tucson, Arizona, to participate in the Cactus Classic on February 27-28.
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