UO set for second exhibition
The Ducks battle Western
Oregon on Sunday in their
•final exhibition game of the
year before games count
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
One down, one to go.
The Oregon women's basketball
team will play its second and final ex
hibition game Sunday against West
ern Oregon at 1 p.m. at McArthur
Court. The Ducks defeated Strakonice
of the Czech Republic, 80-69, in
Wednesday's exhibition opener.
Sunday will be the final contest
where nothing matters but the chance
to gain experience. Oregon opens its
nonconference schedule with Val
paraiso Nov. 15.
"We've been able to push each oth
er in practice, but it's always nice to
play against somebody else," senior
forward Cathrine Kraayeveld said af
ter Wednesday's game. "It kind of tests
us if we can take what we've done in
practice and put it into games."
Improving its defense has been
Oregon's main off-season focus. Mead
coach Bev Smith has committed to
improving the Ducks defensively after
the team finished ninth in the Pacific
10 Conference in points and field goal
percentage allowed last season.
Sunday's game will offer another
chance for Oregon to work out the
kinks after struggling with Strakon
ice's transition offense.
"Getting back, making sure we run to
the ball ready to take control and make
(Strakonice) play some half-court of
fense (was im
WOMEN'S
BASKETBALL
portant),"
Smith said.
"When we did
that 1 thought
we were much
more effective. We have to work and be
much more precise and much more
aware in defensive transition."
The second point of emphasis for the
Ducks has been rebounding. Oregon
finished dead last in the conference last
season, grabbing just under 34 re
bounds per game. The Ducks out-re
bounded an undersized Strakonice
team 42-33 on Wednesday.
The third aspect Oregon will work
on in the game is offensive execution.
The Ducks were sixth in the conference
in scoring with just fewer than 66
points per game last season, but Smith
Danielle Hickey Senior Photographer
Brandi Davis said the Ducks are playing with more chemistry this season.
said the team is now capable of scoring
"within the 70 to 80 point range."
After Wednesday's exhibition, play
ers and coaches have reason to be ex
cited about Oregon's offensive poten
tial. junior point guard Corrie
Mizusawa dished out 15 assists —
which would have been a school
record if game statistics had count
ed— and dazzled fans with her crisp
reads and no-look passes.
"She's done a great job of creating
for herself and looking for the open
person," Kraayeveld said. "She's a true
point guard and I think we've missed
that in the past couple years. We're re
ally excited for what she's going to of
fer this year."
Junior guard Brandi Davis will once
again be a reliable scoring option for
Oregon. After sharing the team lead in
scoring with Carolyn Ganes last sea
son at 10.9 points per game, Davis
dropped 16 points on Strakonice,
knocking down 4 of 6 from three
point range.
Davis said that this year's team has
exhibited better chemistry than in sea
sons past.
"We've come to an understanding
about each other and we can definitely
play well together," Davis said. "We
have great things to come in the future."
Oregon will not have all of its
weapons available Sunday. Freshman
forward Jessica Shetters sat out of
Wednesday's game with what Smith
referred to as a "stress reaction just
above the ankle." Smith said the 6
foot-6-inch Shetters should be on
crutches for a week or two before re
turning to action.
Senior guard Kayla Steen and soph
omore guard Chelsea Wagner have
been nursing injuries, while freshman
guard Kaela Chapdelaine will miss
the season as a medical redshirt.
Contact the sports reporter
at jonroetman@dailyemerald.com.
Northwest rivals await Ducks
The Ducks look to snap
a 13-match losing streak
against Washington
State and Washington
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
The Oregon volleyball team travels
to the Evergreen state this weekend in
search of its first Pacific-10 Conference
win of the year.
The search begins tonight against
Washington State and continues Sat
urday against No. 11 Washington in
what head coach Carl Ferreira calls
"the hardest Pac-10 trip of the year."
Tonight's match against Washing
ton State is possibly Oregon's best re
maining opportunity for a conference
win. The
DUCK
VOLLEYBALL
Cougar roster
features 12
freshmen and
the team had
lost six consecu
tive matches entering Thursday's con
test with Oregon State. If the Ducks
are to be competitive, however, their
first order of business will be dealing
with the rowdy fans at Bohler Gym.
"It's a fun collegiate volleyball at
mosphere in Bohler," Ferreira said.
"The fans get packed in there tight,
they're on you and they very much as
sist the home team."
The Cougars drew a season-high
1,789 fans Oct. 17 against the
Huskies. Freshman middle blocker
Kristen Bitter said even though roar
ing crowds can be intimidating, op
posing fans can also be used as a shot
of adrenaline.
"It can be motivating," Bitter said.
"You can take some of the crowd's en
ergy and use it against (your oppo
nent). I heard Washington State has a
great volleyball atmosphere so I'm ex
cited to see it."
Washington State may be without
the services of outside hitter Kristen
Carlson, who injured her left knee in
a match against Idaho on Oct. 28. The
freshman left-hander, who is sixth in
the Pac-10 with 3.9 kills per game dur
ing conference matches, is listed as
questionable.
The Cougars swept the Ducks 3-0
on Oct. 11 at McArthur Court. After
emotional matches against UCLA,
USC, Oregon State and Washington,
Ferreira said the Ducks failed to come
out as an intense group.
Oregon travels to Bank of Ameri
ca Arena on Saturday to take on
Washington (15-7, 6-7). The
Huskies are led by junior outside
hitter Sanja Tomasevic, who is
eighth on the active career kill list
with 811. Tomasevic sat out with
an injury during the Huskies' 3-0
win over the Ducks on Oct. 10 at
Mac Court.
Oregon enters the weekend on a
13-match losing streak. Ferreira said
the Ducks need to cut down on their
errors if they want to capture a confer
ence win. The Ducks were burned by
16 service errors Oct. 30 against Ore
gon State.
Ferreira attributed the Ducks' service
difficulties to a lack of mental focus.
"It's 100 percent mental," Ferreira
said. "(Serving) is the only activity
that happens in the entire match
where you actually stop and get to
hold the ball. Every other skill is a re
bound skill off the body that requires
pure (athleticism)."
Junior outside hitter Lauren West
endorf said eliminating errors is one
step toward Oregon's goal of playing
a complete game.
"We're just focusing on playing a
consistent level of volleyball," West
endorf said. "Against USC and UCLA
we played at a really high level. We
definitely showed ourselves as capa
ble of playing as a top-10 team."
Contact the sports reporter
at jonroetman@dailyemerald.com.
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graduate from
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and it won't cost any
more each month than
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And Mom & Dad will be
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and I'll da the rest.
FRANCENE ORE WE
N88-930-4622
GMAC Mortgage
November 7 & 10
EMU Taylor Lounge, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This year, Oregon's football
teams won't just be competing
for points ... they're out for
blood.
Students, staff, alumni, fans,
and friends are invited to roll
up their sleeves and donate
to the local blood supply in
the 1st Annual Civil War
Blood Drive.
Stop by the EMU from 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. on Friday,
November 7 and Monday,
November 10 to give blood
in support of the Ducks.
One FREE Civil War Blood
Drive tee shirt will be given
each hour of the campus
blood drive.
Questions? Call the Student
Alumni Relations Board at
346-2107 or contact Lane
Memorial Blood Bank at
484-9111.
UNIVERSITY OK OREGON
AI-UMNI ASSOCIATION
Student Alumni Relations Board
Sponsored by Lane Memorial Blood Bank and the
University of Oregon Student Alumni Relations Board
LANE MEMORIAL
blood bank