Emerald
Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz
Sports Editor: Tim Pyle
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Jeffrey Stockton Emerald
Ducks drop 15th straight
■ me Uregon volleyball team can’t
find a way to beat Cal and must
regroup in time to face No. 2 Stanford
By Scott Pesznecker
Oregon Daily Emerald
Point, game, match.
Record.
The Oregon volleyball team (6-15 overall,
0-12 Pacific-10 Conference) was swept by Cal
ifornia (9-11,4-7) 15-3,15-7 and 15-7, eclips
ing the 14-match losing streak set in 1994 un
der the reigns of coach Gerry Gregory.
“It looks like when we’re doing well and
we’re going to win a game, we find a way not
to,” Oregon head coach Cathy Nelson said.
“This is a team that has very little confi
dence and is a team that doesn’t really be
lieve it can win. It’s kind of a self-fulfilling
prophecy. Even when in position to win, we
find a way to lose it. ”
After showing signs of improvement
against Washington last Saturday, Oregon
had high hopes before yesterday’s match.
The Golden Bears were the most beatable
on-paper team remaining on the schedule.
Earlier this season, it came as a surprise to
the Ducks when Cal beat them.
Oregon lost to the Golden Bears again, but
it did not go quietly.
The Ducks responded from being down 7-1
in game 1 by closing the score to 10-8. Oregon
held the momentum, but a pivotal no-call on a
California ball-handling error resulted in a
heartbreaking 13th point for the Bears.
With the score at 14-12, freshman Heather
Gilmore made a heroic, cross-court save that
barely made it over the net and earned Ore
gon the side out. Halie Mazza scored on a
service ace before Cal’s Courtney Guerra
made the game-winning kill..
“We did more of what we did against
Washington,” Nelson said. “We got behind
7-1, but we showed that we were resilient.”
Oregon fell behind 7-1 to start the second
game but clawed its way back, trailing the
Bears 9-6. Then it was California’s Brooke
Coulter who took control, scoring three of
Cal’s final four points.
The Ducks stormed to an impressive 7-1
lead in game 3, but the Golden Bears’ game
winning 14-0 run was more impressive.
“We were ahead 7-1 and had things going
our way, and then it just fell apart,” Nelson
said. “We’re at that part in the season right now
when that shouldn’t be happening to us. ”
Turn to Volleyball, Page 12A
The Hustle
Thursday
Cal 3, Oregon 0
(15-13,15-7,15-7)
Tonight
Oregon vs. No. 2
Stanford
7 p.m., McArthur
Court
Exciting step’
awaits men
at Pac-1 Os
■ Steve Fein is chasing his third
individual title as the Ducks battle
their Pac-10 Conference foes looking
for postseason play
By Jeff Smith
Oregon Daily Emerald
Let the championship season begin.
On Saturday, the No. 12 Oregon men’s
cross country team attempts to build on its
successful season at the
Pacific-10 Conference
Championships, at El Do
rado Regional Park in
Long Beach, Calif.
The strong field of Pac
10 teams boasts four
teams ranked among the
top 12 in the nation. Beside Oregon there
will be No. 2 Stanford, No. 6 Arizona and
No. 9 Arizona State.
A year ago, the Ducks hosted the event
and nearly came away with the win before
finishing second by only two points to the
Cardinal. Oregon continued on to its sec
ond consecutive second-place finish, while
Stanford won its third straight Pac-10 title.
Head coach Martin
Smith’s youthful run
ners are coming off a
strong seventh-place fin
ish at the Pre-NCAAs on
Oct. 16 where senior
Steve Fein captured his
second individual title
of the fall.
Fein is favored to be the leader again this
weekend, but will face stiff competition
from Stanford junior Jonathon Riley, Ari
zona senior Micheil Jones and Washington
senior Dave Bazzi.
Fein, who transferred from Wisconsin
prior to the 1998 season, realizes the im
portance in helping Oregon continue the
tradition of finishing at the top of the Pac
10.
“Obviously just talking to people here,
they are excited about it and the chance of
Turn to Men, Page 13A
Inside
More information
about the
women’s cross
country team.
PAGE13A
Oregon Soccer
Senior forward Erin Anderson and her teammates take aim at knocking off a couple of Pac-10 foes for the first time this weekend.
UO hopes to end another loss streak
■ The Ducks are confident
heading into this weekend’s
matches against No. 10 USC
and No. 20 UCLA
By Brett Williams
Oregon Daily Emerald
Last weekend the Oregon women’s
soccer team ended its winless streak
against the Washington schools with a 2
1 overtime win over Washington State.
The Ducks attempt to do the same this
weekend against No. 10 Southern Cali
fornia on Friday and No. 20 UCLA this
Sunday at Pape Field.
Oregon (6-9 overall, 2-3 Pacific-10
Conference) is a combined 0-4 against
USC and UCLA.
Last year the Trojans and Bruins domi
nated the Ducks offensively and Oregon
lost 2-0 and 4-0, respectively.
“In the past we’ve played a lot of de
fense, and we want to change that,” Ore
gon defender Carrie McLanahan said.
“We need to attack them, score a lot of
goals and give them a challenge. ”
Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said
the Ducks sold themselves short playing
against their Southern rivals in previous
meetings.
“We had a decent match with UCLA
last year,” Steffen said. “We haven’t
played up to our capabilities in the past.”
According to Steffen, the Ducks have
grown mentally from their wins at Wash
ington State and Oregon State.
“We’re confident, and we realize we
can [beat] good teams,” Steffen said.
“The better we get at knowing we can
play with these teams, the better we are. ”
Oregon forward Julie McLellan agreed
that Oregon’s road wins boosted the
team’s confidence.
“The key things are mental, and the
only thing lacking from our games before
were our heart,” said McLellan, who was
Turn to Soccer, Page 12A