Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, September 6
Fort Collins, CO
6:00 PM
Colorado State
0-4,0-0Mountain West
1
vs
3
Oregon
2-1,0-0Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Oregon
20
25
25
25
3
Colorado St.
25
21
23
23
1
Rams Drop Four-Setter to No. 12 Oregon
9/6/2024 10:02:00 PM | Volleyball
Team trying to balance feeling of improving while losing
The balancing act can be tricky for a team. Feeling like there are incremental improvements taking place while falling short in the final tally.
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The Colorado State coaching staff feels it. So do the players, but Friday's final result was a 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-23 loss to No. 12 Oregon at Moby Arena.
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The Rams passed much better. They were tight defensively. And they're still seeking the first win of the season.
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"We're a gritty team. Every single time we've come out here we've played better," CSU coach Emily Kohan said. "We're getting better and better. I don't feel like our team … nobody is happy we're 0-4, but we're not disheartened. We've played a really hard schedule. We've talked about we're getting melted down and we're going to come out in some kind of better way of this. I think tomorrow is a good opportunity in the win column. You play like this against a lot of the teams in the country and you're going to come out with a win."
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The improved passing showed up from the start and resulted in a very well distributed match for CSU setter Emery Herman, who pushed out 41 assists. But she also took some matters into her own hands, dropping seven kills herself as she finished with a double-double by adding 13 digs.
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She didn't realize how much she'd actually attacked – or how effective she was – but it did help open up lanes for her other options.
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"Really? I didn't know that," she said about the kills, which are a career best for her at CSU. "I think in the beginning I saw there were no hands, or I just knew how to get around them. I was trying to open things up for my hitters, too. I get to hold a blocker so I can open things up for other hitters."
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In the early going, both teams were moving the ball well, and neither team put up much of a block as there were only four combined between the teams, the Rams with just one through those first three sets.
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It led to some rather high hitting percentages for both teams, as well as some impressive rallies from both sides, leading to extended points, which the Rams won their share.
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Malaya Jones posted her second 20-kill performance of the season, hitting the number on the dot. Naeemah Weathers had her best night of the season, producing nine, and Kennedy Stanford had her best performance of the season with eight.
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It was the first match the Rams had the services of libero Kate Yoshimoto, and while she wasn't a cure-all, she did provide stabilization in the back row and rubbed off on her teammates from Kohan's viewpoint.
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"I think we played pretty well. I think it was nice to stabilize our passing," Kohan said. "I thought Kate  did a great job, but also the people next to her. I thought Kennedy and Taylor (Pagan) also passed very well, and I think having the comfort blanket of Kate back was a big part of it. I thought Emery was then able to distribute the ball and get Nemo involved appropriately."
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Oregon also had a bevy of hitters involved as the Ducks finished the match with four players reaching double figures, led by Mimi Colyer with 10. Noemie Glover and Sophie Gregoire each posted 11, Onye Ofoegbu 10.
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And in the final set, both teams figured out a bit of the other's attack, as the Ducks posted five blocks in the final set, the Rams finding four.
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At the end, the Rams could only wait for the next match, which comes against Central Arkansas at home on Saturday (1 p.m.). And Jones feels when it breaks through, the Rams will do it together.
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"I think it takes genuine love for each other and fight to be able to fight to continue to be positive and know we have so much season left," she said. "We want to do it for each other, we want to do it for this team, and we know we're going to be great in November. That's our goal, November. We're going to put in that work."
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An effort they feel positive will see them break through.
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The Colorado State coaching staff feels it. So do the players, but Friday's final result was a 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-23 loss to No. 12 Oregon at Moby Arena.
Â
The Rams passed much better. They were tight defensively. And they're still seeking the first win of the season.
Â
"We're a gritty team. Every single time we've come out here we've played better," CSU coach Emily Kohan said. "We're getting better and better. I don't feel like our team … nobody is happy we're 0-4, but we're not disheartened. We've played a really hard schedule. We've talked about we're getting melted down and we're going to come out in some kind of better way of this. I think tomorrow is a good opportunity in the win column. You play like this against a lot of the teams in the country and you're going to come out with a win."
Â
The improved passing showed up from the start and resulted in a very well distributed match for CSU setter Emery Herman, who pushed out 41 assists. But she also took some matters into her own hands, dropping seven kills herself as she finished with a double-double by adding 13 digs.
Â
She didn't realize how much she'd actually attacked – or how effective she was – but it did help open up lanes for her other options.
Â
"Really? I didn't know that," she said about the kills, which are a career best for her at CSU. "I think in the beginning I saw there were no hands, or I just knew how to get around them. I was trying to open things up for my hitters, too. I get to hold a blocker so I can open things up for other hitters."
Â
In the early going, both teams were moving the ball well, and neither team put up much of a block as there were only four combined between the teams, the Rams with just one through those first three sets.
Â
It led to some rather high hitting percentages for both teams, as well as some impressive rallies from both sides, leading to extended points, which the Rams won their share.
Â
Malaya Jones posted her second 20-kill performance of the season, hitting the number on the dot. Naeemah Weathers had her best night of the season, producing nine, and Kennedy Stanford had her best performance of the season with eight.
Â
It was the first match the Rams had the services of libero Kate Yoshimoto, and while she wasn't a cure-all, she did provide stabilization in the back row and rubbed off on her teammates from Kohan's viewpoint.
Â
"I think we played pretty well. I think it was nice to stabilize our passing," Kohan said. "I thought Kate  did a great job, but also the people next to her. I thought Kennedy and Taylor (Pagan) also passed very well, and I think having the comfort blanket of Kate back was a big part of it. I thought Emery was then able to distribute the ball and get Nemo involved appropriately."
Â
Oregon also had a bevy of hitters involved as the Ducks finished the match with four players reaching double figures, led by Mimi Colyer with 10. Noemie Glover and Sophie Gregoire each posted 11, Onye Ofoegbu 10.
Â
And in the final set, both teams figured out a bit of the other's attack, as the Ducks posted five blocks in the final set, the Rams finding four.
Â
At the end, the Rams could only wait for the next match, which comes against Central Arkansas at home on Saturday (1 p.m.). And Jones feels when it breaks through, the Rams will do it together.
Â
"I think it takes genuine love for each other and fight to be able to fight to continue to be positive and know we have so much season left," she said. "We want to do it for each other, we want to do it for this team, and we know we're going to be great in November. That's our goal, November. We're going to put in that work."
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An effort they feel positive will see them break through.
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Team Stats
Oregon
CSU
Kills
59
56
Errors
17
16
Attempts
130
134
Hitting %
.323
.299
Points
70.0
67.0
Assists
56
51
Aces
3
6
Blocks
8
5
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
20
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
S
/ VolleyballOPP
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ VolleyballCSU Volleyball Players Press Conference - August 6
Thursday, August 07
Emily Kohan Press Conference - August 6
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2024 Colorado State Volleyball
Thursday, February 13