Despite beating UCLA and USC last weekend, clinching the first season sweep of both teams in school history, the Huskies know their job still isn’t done. With only five games left to get ready for the playoffs, the Husky volleyball team will head down to Oregon to take on No. 6 Oregon and Oregon State.

“We['ve] got our work cut out for us,” coach Jim McLaughlin said. “Both teams are good. Both teams have played well at times, and we’ve got to be prepared.”

The Ducks are the last top-25 team UW will play before the playoffs begin.

Injured sophomore outside hitter Kindra Carlson has an outside chance of playing this weekend. She is suffering from a rib injury and practiced lightly yesterday and the day before.

“We have to wait for the trainer to clear her,” McLaughlin said. “It’s based on when she feels less pain.”

The Huskies will need everything they can get against the tough Ducks. Oregon is enjoying one of the best seasons in recent school history, and has reached the 20-win plateau for the first time in back-to-back seasons since the 1983 and 1984 seasons. The team is also riding a 14-game home winning streak.

“I think it would mean a lot,” freshman Bianca Rowland said. “Going down there and beating a really good team in their own gym, it would boost our confidence heading toward the playoffs.”

Before they get a chance at that streak, UW will have to get through the tough but struggling Beavers tonight. Despite their 3-9 Pac-10 record, the Beavers are a dangerous team. Their offense is led by hard-hitting sophomore Rachel Rourke, who leads the Pac-10 with 4.14 kills per set and more than 1,000 in her career.

With the playoffs in the near future, this weekend could play a large part in determining the teams’ final standings in the Pac-10. UW and Cal are tied for second place, both only two games behind Stanford for first place. Stanford will have a tough end-of-year schedule, playing four top-10 nationally ranked teams. And if UW can win out its schedule, it may have a chance at first place.

“We haven’t really talked about it much, but it would be really cool if we got first place,” Rowland said. “As long as we go into the tournament strong, we will be good.”

Reach reporter Zach Ruby at sports@dailyuw.com.