Sports Editor.
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
-Oregon Daily Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet
College basketball:
Marquette vs. St. Johns
6 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Mark McCambridge Photographer
Sarah Mason has maintained an intense style of play even though Oregon has yet to win a conference match.
Island fever
Sarah Mason has had to
adjust to living life in a new
culture while leading the
Oregon volleyball attack
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
When Sarah Mason was preparing to
come to Oregon, she knew she'd be step
ping outside her comfort zone.
The I lilo, 1 iawaii, native had no idea
what she'd be stepping into.
Along with the
usual difficulties
that come with be
ing a freshman in
college, Mason has
had to adjust to the
drastic culture discrepancies between Eu
gene and Hawaii, Experiencing everything
from the cold, damp weather of Oregon to
a general lack of compassion she feels peo
ple treat each other with, Mason usually
finds herself in a foreign situation every day.
"1 Iawaii is a totally different culture
than over here," Mason said. "Over here,
if someone honks their (car) horn, peo
ple think they're doing something bad,
like they ran a red light. In 1 Iawaii, if you
honk the hom someone leans out of the
window and says, 'hey, what's up?'"
Fortunately for Mason, there's some
one who has been able to relate to her
struggles every step of the way.
Head coach Carl Ferreira hails from
I Iilo as well and attended the same high
school (St. Joseph's) as Mason. Ferreira
has also held a 37-year friendship with
Mason's high school and club coach,
Rachelle Hanohano. These similarities
not only helped Ferreira lure Mason
away from national-power Hawaii, but
help him make life easier for her.
DUCK
VOLLEYBALL
"You don't understand the difference
(in Hawaiian culture) because initially,
you're born into it," Ferreira said. "You
start to learn once you separate from it,
how different it actually is. It's a diverse ac
cepted culture. It doesn't matter what race
you are, you're an equal member of a
community. They share the food, they
share the arts and they share the language,
and they blend all of it into a mixed cul
ture. Your neighbor is like your relative."
Ferreira said he knew Mason was an
individual rich with cultural pride the
first time she called him "Uncle Carl." In
1 lawaii, people often refer to their elders
as "auntie" or "uncle."
"In the history of coaching, I've never
had anyone call me Uncle Carl," Ferreira
said. "I laughed the first time she said it be
cause she said it out of pure culture. 1
thought it was awesome and it was just her
being her. It's a special relationship, and I
have to provide her with a great deal of em
pathy and reassure her that she'll be OK."
Despite experiencing cultural incon
sistencies, Mason's play on the court has
been anything but. The 6-foot-3 outside
hitter has evolved into the Ducks' top at
tacker. She leads the team in kills (242),
kills per game (3.10) and hitting percent
age (.270), while making a strong push
to be on the Pacific-10 Conference All
Freshman team. She has become a go-to
attacker for the Ducks while gaining the
respect of her teammates.
"I know that she's an amazing athlete
and an amazing volleyball player and
whenever I set her, I know she's going to
put the ball down," sophomore setter
Jodi Bell said. "There's not doubt in my
mind that she's a go-to hitter of mine,
and I know she'll make a kill for me."
Though impressive, Mason's statistics
Turn to VOLLEYBALL, page 14
Top 20 class
finds its way
to Kent, Ducks
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent lands a top 20
recruiting class for the second straight season
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
Just one season after grabbing the 15th-best recruiting class in
the nation, Oregon head coach Ernie Kent announced a trio of
players Wednesday just one notch below.
_ Richmond, Texas' Chamberlain Oguchi,
m.m sf"- g f Redmond's Maarty Leunen and Bryce Taylor,
IWl fc Wm ^ who hails from North Hollywood, Calif., all
BASKETBALL signed National Letters of Intent Wednesday
- to play with the Ducks beginning next season.
Last year's class of Aaron Brooks, Mitch
Platt and Ray Schafer garnered a No. 15 ranking. This year's group
was named the 16th-best in the nation by DaveTelep ofTheln
sidersHoops.com and was given a No. 21 rating by the Official
College Sports Network.
The three will come in next season when the Ducks lose sen
iors Luke Jackson, Jay Anderson, Andre Joseph and James Davis
to graduation.
"Probably the common thread — even though they are from
California, Texas and Oregon — is the fact that all three are
tremendous students and tremendous character," Kent said. "That
is very important to us in all our recruiting efforts.
"When you combine this group with the class that came in last
year, that is just an outstanding group of guys. 1 don't know if any
body in the Pac-10 can say they have a class that is better than the
Turn to BASKETBALL, page 14
Oregon touts accomplishments
Oregon ended its season
without an NCAA bid,
but it accomplished much
more than it expected
By Jesse Thomas
Sports Reporter
The Ducks took a 180-degree turn
this season.
Oregon turned its back on the 2002 sea
son this year after finishing 2-14-2 overall,
the worst record in program history. The
Ducks came back recharged in 2003 and
pulled off the best record, 9-11, in the pro
gram's history.
They are proud
DUCK ofthat
"We proved to
ourselves and to
everyone that we
are a really strong
team and a strong program and we're devel
oping, " goalkeeper Domenique Lainez said.
Oregon wanted to prove it wouldn't
finish last in the Pacific-10 Conference as
coaches had predicted in the preseason.
Oregon finished seventh.
Oregon wanted to prove it was no longer
a pushover team and that opponents need
to come prepared to play. Oregon took
then-No. 2 ranked UCLA into double over
time on Sunday and made a statement.
"That was a great game to end the sea
son on," senior team captain Lindsey
Werdell said. "People were really excited
and happy that we came out and gave
UCLA a battle. 1 think you could hear a
sigh of relief when the game was over on
their side of the bench ."
The Ducks finished 3-6 in conference
play this season, which ties the program's
best-ever conference record for the pro
gram. Oregon began the season on a five
game winning streak, the longest in the
program's history.
Oregon found several ways to accom
plish what had never been accomplished in
the program this season. All the Ducks
wanted after it was over was to be respected.
"1 definitely feel we have gained a ton
of respect from other schools in the Pac
10 and throughout the other conferences
as well," Lainez said. "These upcoming
years we are just going to be better and
better, and we'll gain more respect."
The Ducks did fall short in reaching
their ultimate goal this year, advancing to
Iris Mora (10) scores
UCLA’s gamewinning
goal in double overtime
on Sunday against
Oregon’s Domenique
Lainez.lt was a nearly
ablockforLainez,
much like Oregon's
near miss in making
the NCAA tournament
for the first time.
Mark McCambridge
Photographer
the postseason for the first time in the
program's history. Oregon would have
had to win at least one game in its final
weekend to be considered for a spot. Itie
Ducks lost both.
"We still have the right to keep our
heads up (even though) we didn't get that
one goal that we shoot for every season to
get to that tournament," redshirt sopho
more Nicole Garbin said. "And we didn't
get it, but we did other things for this pro
gram. We opened that door up even
wider. We're just going to get even better."
Oregon loses just three seniors — goal
keeper Mary fitter, defender Dara Wone
and Werdell will all graduate.
Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said
the most difficult aspect to replace will
be the leadership that they brought to
the team.
"All three of them were very essential for
Turn to SOCCER, page 14