EUGENE- The Oregon Ducks volleyball program is continuing to prepare for the upcoming season with an exhibition match. Saturday at 4 p.m. PDT, the Ducks faced Oregon State in an exhibition game just an hour north of Eugene in Corvallis at Gill Coliseum.
With just six days until the season opener against Pittsburgh, Oregon coach Matt Ulmer is looking to get his athletes as much experience and repetition as possible ahead of their 2024 season debut.
Oregon Head Coach Matt Ulmer is seen during a time out in the second set of the NCAA Regional Volleyball Finals match against Wisconsin on Saturday December 9, 2023 at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis. / Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
“You learn a lot more from this than you do from practice,” Ulmer said following Oregon’s Green-Yellow Scrimmage. “We start with Pittsburgh, who’s going to be, I think, a top-five team coming out of the gate. So, I think we’re in a good spot, but we have a couple of weeks to get a little bit better.”
The Oregon volleyball program will open the season as the No. 10 team in the AVCA preseason poll. This is the second consecutive season and third time in program history for the Ducks to start their year among the top 10 teams in the country. The Ducks will open the 2024 season against a top-five ranked opponent in Pittsburgh.
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One way Ulmer is challenging his Ducks ahead of the season opener against No. 4 ranked Pittsburgh is through competing in an exhibition match against former conference opponent Oregon State. Oregon and Oregon State have competed in the same conference for years, however, with conference realignment coming into play this season for the Ducks and many other programs around the nation, the Oregon volleyball program will not face the Beavers in the regular season. While Oregon will be a member of the Big Ten conference and playing a Big Ten schedule, Oregon State remains a member of the Pac-12 Conference alongside Washington State, the only other team left in the Pac-12.
Oregon setter Hannah Pukis sets the ball as the No. 2 Oregon Ducks host Hawaii in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Oregon State will play a West Coast Conference (WCC) schedule starting Sep. 26 against Pepperdine. The Beavers rank third in the WCC preseason standings.
One player to watch in Saturday’s scrimmage is junior outside hitter Mimi Colyer. Earlier this month, Colyer was named to the 2024 Big Ten Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team.
Colyer has been making a dramatic impact for Oregon since her arrival in Eugene. As a true freshman in 2022, Colyer had great success becoming the first player in program history to win AVCA National Freshman of the Year and seventh in conference history. Colyer was also the first freshman in Oregon volleyball history to be voted to one of the three All-America teams and the second in UO history to win conference Freshman of the Year. Colyer led all NCAA freshmen with 616.5 points and 544 kills, ranking 10th and 11th nationally.
Oregon outside hitter Mimi Colyer sets the ball as Oregon volleyball takes on Portland State in an exhibition match Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Colyer’s dominance extended into her sophomore season where she led the Ducks with 471 kills and 4.43 points per set, fourth in the Pac-12. She was second on the team with 13 double-doubles and had career highs in digs (302) and aces (44).
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This year, as one of the Ducks’ only returning starters, Colyer’s role is changing both on and off the court. Off the court, Colyer serves as a leader for Oregon’s newcomers, and on the court, Colyer, a player known for her offensive prowess, will take on a larger defensive responsibility.
“She’s got a lot of help around her right now to score,” Ulmer explained. “We’re asking her now to pass more, play more defense, do some different things than what she’s done in the past. So, it’ll take some time for her to transition, but I know she can do it. I know she has the skill set to do it.”
Oregon volleyball coach Matt Ulmer brings his team together during their match against Oregon State in Eugene Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
More players poised to be a force and key parts of Oregon’s rotation are Oregon’s four experienced seniors. This year’s senior class includes returners Daley McClellan and Onye Ofoegbu and transfers Mackenzie Morris and Michelle Ohwobete.
As the Oregon Ducks prepare for their highly anticipated season opener against Pittsburgh the exhibition match against Oregon State offers a valuable opportunity for evaluation and preparation. With a talented roster and a determined coaching staff, Oregon is well-positioned to compete at a high level in the coming season.
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The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
