The Southern Oregon volleyball program will open up practice Thursday night at Ashland Middle School.

The Raiders will practice at 6 p.m. SOU will practice at AMS because of camps in McNeal Pavilion.

SOU, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Josh Rohlfing, returns five starters from the 2009 squad that went 24-4 overall and 17-1 in Cascade Conference play to share a piece of the conference crown.

Included in the group of returners is NAIA All-American and Cascade Conference All-Star Leah Bergstrom (West Linn, Ore./West Linn), a senior right-side hitter.

Senior Lindsey Stone (Ashland, Ore./Ashland), who red-shirted last year, returns after earning All-American honors in 2007 and 2008 and being named the conference MVP in 2008.

SOU hosts Holy Names on Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m. to open the 2010 season.