Friday, 7 p.m. (MT) – SOU at College of Idaho – Live Stats – Live Stream
Saturday, 6 p.m. – SOU at Eastern Oregon – Live Stats – Live Stream

ASHLAND – No reason to dance around it, so here it is: The most critical, demanding weekend of the 11^th-ranked Southern Oregon University volleyball team's season has arrived. It will very likely decide whether the Raiders win their first Cascade Collegiate Conference championship since 2010.

The first-place Raiders (19-3 overall, 13-1 CCC) play at 7 p.m. Mountain Time on Friday at College of Idaho (13-10, 10-4), which was the CCC's preseason favorite and has won at least a share of the last eight titles but, with four matches remaining, will need a minor miracle to extend the run.  On Saturday SOU travels to 13^th-ranked Eastern Oregon (22-3, 12-2), which earlier this season dropped a five-set classic in Ashland and would force a first-place tie with a win.

Eighth-year Raider head coach Josh Rohlfing is 124-18 in conference matches. Thirteen of those 18 losses have been against these teams.

"Both of these teams are so talented and well-coached, and they always play incredibly tough at home," Rohlfing said. "We know what we're in for. But I've been really happy with the way we've prepared all week. It's such a steady, level-headed group."

The Coyotes had won 73 straight conference matches at home until SOU ended the streak in five sets last September. Only Eastern has defeated them, in five sets, at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center this season.

The Mountaineers have won 27 straight at home overall dating back to the 2012 season. They're 8-0 in La Grande this year and have yet to drop a set.

"You have to earn everything on this trip," Rohlfing said. "Nothing's going to come easy."

The Mountaineers will be especially hungry. In 26 seasons of CCC play, they've yet to win a championship. They were one game out last season, two the season before that, and two the season before that.

More of the same: When there is rarely anything new to report – no spikes or dips in performance – that is generally a tell for consistency, which is good as long as you're consistently winning like the Raiders are now. With that said, there were no hugely significant developments as SOU took care of business last weekend against Northwest and Evergreen, so let's update the leaderboards:

Middle-blocker Emma Gasman (Clovis, Calif./Buchanan) had the best weekend of her career with 33 kills on 51 attacks, bringing her attacking average up to .302, which ranks third in the CCC… Motade Atanda (San Jose, Calif./Presentation) led the Raiders both matches with 36 kills in seven sets, and  now ranks second, a sliver behind EOU's Casey Loper, at 4.2 kills per set. Paulla Pinheiro (Fortaleza, Brazil/Colegio Farias Brito) is fourth in the category at 3.7, and Gasman 12^th at 2.6… Lauren McGowne (Coos Bay, Ore./Marshfield) took back over the league-lead in assists at 11.7 per set, and Pinheiro is tied for the lead in aces (0.46)… Brookelynn Cole (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) won CCC defensive player of the week honors for the second time this season and jumped to third on the CCC digs chart at 5.1 per set.

About College of Idaho: SOU won the first meeting between the teams in Ashland, 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23. The Yotes still feature a dangerous attack, ranking first in the CCC in kills and assists, and have the most respected setter in the league in Sierra Porter. Porter is a dual threat with the ball, averaging 11.6 assists per set, second only to McGowne, and 1.3 kills, which leads all setters. Junior middle Kylie Porter hits .289 with 3.3 kills, and Emily Ottinger leads the team at 3.4 kills.

"(Sierra) Porter is just so good at keeping you guessing," Rohlfing said. "They always have a chance with her on the floor."

About Eastern Oregon: Loper, the reigning CCC player of the year, is threatening to win the award again with league-best averages of 4.3 kills and a .386 attacking clip. Freshman Emily Nay is second in attacking (.317) and second in blocks (1.2), helping the Mountaineers rank first as a team in attacking average (.257) and average against (.121).

"Loper is the best player in the league and you really have no chance to stop her; she's going to get her kills," Rohlfing said. "What's important is staying in system and not getting down. We have to be persistent and be prepared for some difficult moments.

EOU had the chance to close out an emotional battle in Ashland with a 17-11 lead in the fourth set, but SOU came back with a 14-3 stretch and then won the fifth set, 20-18.