After losing both games 0-3 this weekend against Arizona State and No. 24 Arizona, the OSU volleyball team currently sits eleventh in the Pac-12 with an 0-4 in-conference record.

The Beavers started out their season hot as they went up 10-2 before Pac-12 play started, but ever since then OSU has been unable to find a win. 

In their game against Arizona State, the Beavers had a hard time finding the floor as ASU tallied up 68 digs. On the other end, the Sun Devils planted 46 kills and six aces in which OSU could not respond. 

Oregon State almost took the first set but lost it 22-25. After that, Arizona State took off running, stealing the next two sets 16-25 and 19-25. OSU sophomore Grace Massey led the team with 13 digs while junior Amy Underdown followed with 11.

Against Arizona, the Beavers performed better but struggled to score points and avoid mistakes. In the first set, OSU led 7-5 at one point but ultimately lost their lead due to a shift in momentum from the Wildcats. 

The box-set scores ended in 18-25, 13-25 and 22-25 with Arizona taking home the win. In the match, sophomore hitter Maddie Goings put up 12 kills with senior middle blocker Maddy Gravley and Underdown tallying seven of their own.

“There’s just something right now that’s missing from the team and we’re working really hard to try and figure out what that is,” Gravley said. “But overall it just wasn’t there today.”

In their last two games, Oregon State has managed 16 and 17 errors which has been their No. 1 problem thus far into conference play. Additionally, they only broken 20 points once this weekend which was against Arizona on the last set.

Although their start has been touch so far, OSU Volleyball has seen this sight before. Last year, the team was 1-5 in Pac-12 play before upsetting the No. 14 Washington Huskies in a five-set stunner. After that, the Beavers went on a 10-2 winning streak and advanced to the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Mark Barnard, head coach of OSU Volleyball, said that the games against Arizona and Arizona State were tough but they have been there before.

“We’ve just got to touch the ball, we’re not big enough to really get the ball back on the floor on their side but we can touch it and slow it down,” Barnard said. “And our back court has been pretty strong for us this year so we just have to rely on that.”