EUGENE - The first volleyball Civil War between ranked teams demonstrated why Oregon entered as No. 7 and Oregon State as No. 24.

The Beavers (12-6, 1-4) hung with the Ducks (14-3, 3-2) while losing the first two sets, and then were blasted in the third. Oregon’s 25-20, 25-23, 25-14 victory before 2,159 fans at McArthur Court was the Ducks’ fifth straight in a series they now lead 49-40.

“They’re a really good team, and they played well,” OSU setter Camilla Ah-Hoy said of the Ducks. “I don’t think we played up to the best of our ability. Each individual could have stepped it up a little bit.”

The second set was pivotal. The set featured five lead changes and 15 ties, the last at 23-23 after a kill by OSU’s Lexie Rathgeber. But Oregon’s Nevena Djordjevic set Heather Meyers and Gorana Maricic for back-to-back kills and a 25-23 win that gave the Ducks a 2-0 advantage and essentially clinched the match.

OSU’s Jill Sawatzky had nine kills in the first two sets and finished with 10. Rachel Rourke had five kills in the third set and 12 overall, but OSU coach Terry Liskevych said it seemed as if they alternated playing at a high level and couldn’t get rolling at the same time to give the Beavers two effective weapons. Ashley Evans added 16 digs, Ah-Hoy 26 assists and Rathgeber five blocks.

“I think our passing was breaking down in the second set,” Liskevych said. “But they’re a good team, and I thought we came out with a lot of fire and momentum. The first two sets we were there, but I thought we had a few tentative plays.

“We just have a lot of work to do.”

Maricic, a 2007 All-American, led Oregon with 20 kills and three blocks. Sonja Newcombe added 10 kills and Meyers nine. Oregon hit .406 in the first game, .395 in the second, .342 in the third and .380 overall; as in baseball, .300 is the benchmark for success.