When the Oregon volleyball team headed down to Los Angeles the first week of October, the Ducks were at a crossroads.
Oregon had just been swept at home by Arizona and ASU. Up next were two nationally ranked opponents on the road. The Ducks had a decision to make about the direction this season was headed.
Their response was emphatic. The UO volleyball team swept then-No. 17 UCLA and then-No. 12 USC. In eight October matches beginning that weekend, Oregon went 6-2, its only losses at Utah while short-handed due to injuries, and to No. 2 Stanford.