Vert Challege: Oregon Volleyball Open 2016 Facing Texas and Florida
Oregon begins the 2016 season hosting the Vert Challenge and early season momentum could go a long way.
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The competition coming to Eugene is stellar. Nebraska and Texas both battled it out for the National Championship last season. The Cornhuskers took the National Championship. The teams are ranked 1 and 2 respectively entering this season.
Florida begins the 2016 campaign ranked 10th. All three teams will be at Matthew Knight Arena this weekend to begin the Fall Sports season with the 2nd Annual Vert Challenge.
Oregon is starting the season just outside the Top 25 and can make a big jump with one win this weekend, but it won’t be easy. Even Oregon Head Coach Jim Moore is aware of the talent coming to Eugene. Several years ago Oregon faced Texas in the National Championship and lost.
Is it time for payback, perhaps, “We owe ’em….this program owe’s Texas. I’m not going to lie I made sure this match occurred on this day…Now we’ve gotta take care of business which is a little easier said than done, but that’s what we’ve gotta do.”
The Oregon Ducks do have the number two recruiting class in their pocket. While the team is young, they have height in front averaging six foot two on the front line. Height is an advantage they have not had in a few years. There is one down side, kind of – the matchups over the weekend will see Oregon miss out on Nebraska, at least this time around.
"We definitely have the talent to compete with anybody.Coach Moore on facing Florida and Texas at home"
If your in the Eugene area, this is one weekend that Volleyball should be circled on the calendar. You don’t get this level of talent here very often. The easiest comparison would be IF Alabama played Oregon at Autzen. In the world of Women’s Volleyball it is a huge weekend to showcase Eugene and the Oregon Volleyball team.
Sophomore Lindsay Vander Weide will look to lead the Oregon attack, “We’re looking forward to it. I think we’re definitely getting to the point where we want to be…these last few weeks of practice have been really good for us so we’re really excited for that.” On the incoming Freshman Class, Vander Weide had high praise, “They are right there where we were or even better.”
Oregon opens the Vert Challenge in the second game on Friday facing Texas and wll take on Florida on Saturday night. The four game schedule sets up Nebraska and Florida on Friday at 4pm Pacific Time, followed by Oregon and Texas(7pm PT). Saturday will see a National Championship rematch with Nebraska facing Texas(3:30pm PT) followed by Florida facing the Ducks at 6pm.
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AutzenZoo will have coverage of all four matches in the Vert Challenge starting on Friday at 3:30pm Pacific Time. The matches with Oregon will air on the Pac-12 Network and on KVWA locally in Eugene. The games will also be Live Streamed on the Oregon Athletics website.