The Old And The New: Oregon Fugue Return Their Stars, Lose Their Coach

March 12, 2017 by Robert Gough in Profile with 4 comments

Another excruciating back-and-forth battle ended the final point of the 2015 USAU Women’s College Nationals; swirly, sweeping winds manipulating discs with varying ferocity at pivotal moments. External forces weighed heavy on the shoulders of the players on the field that day, but one team managed to rise above and take home the gold.

It was a crafty high-release backhand from Callahan Award finalist Bethany Kaylor that earned Oregon Fugue their third national championship in six seasons. For some on the roster, 2015 was the first time going home with a title to their name; for others, their second. For coach Lou Burruss, the windy win would mark a fourth championship, a feat reached only by former Stanford Superfly’s Robin Knowler Davis nearly ten years ago.

With a firm foothold established in the “best dynasty ever” conversation, Fugue would bring back nearly the entire team, headlined by the remarkable core group of Kaylor, Jesse Shofner, Alex Ode, and Olivia Bartruff, all competing for a fifth year. Their depth remained, growing the talent pool with proven freshman and transferring players, all coming together to create a spectacular 2016 roster, who have a chance to repeat as champions for the first time in the women’s college game since Davis’ 2005/06/07 Superfly team(s).

This year’s circus, however, finds itself without it’s ringleader.