SO FAR, SO GOOD FOR DUCKS.

Byline: Chris Hansen The Register-Guard

There came a point last season when Oregon volleyball coach Jim Moore was just flat-out exhausted, when the chore of getting young players to perform above their experience level and overachieving seniors to max out their potential had worn him down.

That was just about when the Pac-10 season started.

"We had worked so hard just to get them to that point, to make sure we were playing well, that I was really, really tired," Moore said with a laugh. "Now (Pac-10 play) seems to be coming in a hurry. I'm much more comfortable with that."

The No. 24 Ducks (11-1) will go into their conference opener at 7 p.m. Friday at McArthur Court against No. 8 Washington ranked for the first time this season and coming off an impressive nonconference season that included just one loss.

Bolstered by a talented group of newcomers, Oregon blew through its first 10 opponents this season, tying a school record with its 10-0 start. The Ducks didn't even lose their first game until falling 3-1 to Purdue on Friday in the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge at Ohio State. But they rebounded to defeat the No. 20 Buckeyes the following day in three games.

"I think we needed a wake-up call, and then we needed to get confident again and we got both on the same weekend," Moore said. "We weren't as focused as we needed to be (against Purdue), but it was a lesson we needed to learn. I believed we would respond (against Ohio State) and it showed us a lot that we did."

The Ducks have been led by outside hitters Gorana Maricic and Heather Meyers, and middle blockers Sonja Newcombe and Kristen Forristall.

Maricic, a 6-3 junior, has been as advertised in her first year with the Ducks, leading the team with 171 kills, leading the Pac-10 with 4.75 kills per game and ranking third in the conference with 5.25 points per game.

Meyers, a freshman outside hitter, ranks first in the league in service aces and seventh in hitting percentage, while Forristall, a junior middle blocker, has successfully transitioned from basketball with a team-high 41 blocks.

Then there is the versatile Newcombe, a sophomore middle blocker who is second on the team in kills, digs and points, and third in blocks.

Add in libero Katie Swoboda, who is on pace to be the school record-holder in digs, setter Nevena Djordjevic and a bench that is as deep as it has ever been in Moore's three seasons at Oregon, and the Ducks like their chances in Pac-10 play.

"Our confidence level is high right now, and that's key going into the Pac-10 season," Newcombe said. "That's something this program was lacking in the past. We're ready to go."

Besides Oregon, there are five Pac-10 teams ranked in the top 25, including four in the top 10 and another right on the fringe in No. 11 California.

Last season, for the third time in league history, three Pac-10 teams made the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

So even though Oregon was dominant in the nonconference season - the Ducks never lost a game in any of their 11 victories - a tougher road lies ahead, one that has never been particularly smooth for the Ducks.

Last season, Oregon finished Pac-10 play with a 7-11 record and tied for sixth place in the conference. It was the most victories for the Ducks in 17 years and ended a string of seven straight last-place finishes.

At one point, Oregon was 7-4 in league play before a five-game loss to second-ranked Washington at Mac Court sent the Ducks into a tailspin and they lost seven straight to end the regular season.

But last year was different, Moore said.

"Last year we knew if we didn't win certain matches, we wouldn't get into the NCAA Tournament," Moore said. "Now we know we'll be in every match. We're not worried, we're not panicked, we're not thinking about going 1-17. We're in a completely different place."

The Huskies (11-0) come in having won their last four matches by holding opponents to a combined hitting percentage of .040. The Ducks have lost 13 straight to Washington, with their last win coming on 2000.

But Oregon is second to the Huskies in conference hitting percentage (.338 to .327) and is third in opponents hitting percentage (.115). The Ducks also rank second in kills per game (17.19) and aces (2.27).

"It would be a huge win for us, and it would get us on the right track right away," Swoboda said. "We're better prepared for this, and we know we can compete with everyone in the Pac-10. Every single player believes that."

But winning in the Pac-10 is still a tall order. Stanford is ranked second in the top 25, USC fourth and UCLA fifth. The conference as a whole just went 96-20 in nonconference play, including a mark of 17-3 against the top 25.

"Physically we're right there," Moore said. "But Stanford's not going to lose to Purdue, and USC didn't lose to Purdue. We have to get past the mistakes that led to that loss.

"But it's a long process, and we've got the talent. Stanford is above everybody else right now, and then there is the next five, which includes us. Where we are in that next five, well, that's what we have to prove."

RANKING

THE PAC-10

1. Stanford: Defending league champs played in their 12th NCAA championship match in '06.

2. USC: Fourth-ranked and undefeated, Trojans will be tough once again.

3. Washington: Christal Morrison, '06 Pac-10 player of the year, is league's active leader in both kills and aces.

4. UCLA: No. 5 Bruins, a Final Four team in '06, have only one loss - to No. 1 Nebraska.

5. Oregon: Strong nonleague season, but beating UW would go long way in determining where they go from here.

6. California: No. 11 Golden Bears lead Pac-10 in blocks per game while holding opponents to .060 hitting.

7. Arizona: Coach Dave Rubio recorded his 300th career win last weekend against UC Irvine.

8. Oregon State: Rachel Rourke leads league in points per game (5.52) and is second in kills (4.5).

9. Washington State: Hitting league-low .198. The return of OH Adetokunbo Faleti should provide boost.

10. Arizona State: The Sun Devils are struggling. Rank last in aces, blocks and opponents hitting percentage.