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ASHLAND – Despite getting through  the preseason with a record of 6-2, the Southern Oregon University volleyball team still feels it needs to "get right" as it opens Cascade Collegiate Conference play this week. Coming home certainly can't hurt that cause.

The Raiders will be at Bob Riehm Arena, where they are 48-8 the last four seasons, for the first time this year when they host Corban (3-4 overall) on Thursday and Northwest Christian (0-1) on Friday. Both matches start at 7 p.m., and tickets are available at souraiders.com/tickets. Kids 12 and under get in free thanks to Oak Tree Northwest Bar & Grill.

"I feel like we've been a little inconsistent, but that happens – you're going to have little ebbs and flows," said SOU coach Josh Rohlfing, who is 113-17 all-time in CCC play. "This week what we're working on is being consistent with one another, more disciplined, and keeping the easy tasks easy."

Despite Rohlfing's concern, the Raiders have made life especially difficult for opponents, coming into the weekend first in the conference in hitting average against (.114) and first in blocks (3.26 per set). Emma Gasman (Clovis, Calif./Buchanan) (1.8) and Sam Boehnke (Ashland, Ore./Ashland) (1.5) are Nos. 1 and 2 in blocks, and Brookelynn Cole (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) is controlling the back row with 5 digs per set.

The Raiders also possess two of the league's top-seven in kills in Motade Atanda (San Jose, Calif./Presentation) (3.4 per set) and Paulla Pinheiro (Fortaleza, Brazil/Colegio Farias Brito) (3 per set). It took Pinheiro five matches to reach double-digit kills last season, but she's done it four times already this year, and while amassing a career-high 20 last week against San Marcos she took 55 swings – more than any Raider since 2011.

The Raiders placed fourth in CCC play last season and were picked third this year. They'll be extra careful this weekend after taking a loss at Northwest Christian in last year's opening weekend of circuit action.

"It's really important for us to get off to a really quick start and to be ourselves, (which means) to come in excited and focused on winning the match in front of us," Rohlfing said.

About Corban: SOU has won 22 straight over the Warriors and leads the all-time series 49-7. The Warriors reached 20 points just once in six sets against the Raiders in 2013, when they went 7-22 overall and 3-15 in the conference. They were picked to finish last this season.

Setter Haley Meili returns for her sophomore season at setter, averaging 5.3 assists per set. Corban was last in the CCC in team kills but has gotten improved play on the outsides from freshman Shantelle Hill (2.6 kills per set) and 6-foot-2 senior Claire Bailey (2 kills per set).

About Northwest Christian: Interim coach Kelly Rosin took over the Beacons after two years as the lead assistant. NCU has finished above .500 in conference play two straight seasons, going 17-11 overall and 10-8 in 2013, but was picked eighth in the CCC preseason poll.

If one match is at all indicative, their strategy under Rosin seems to be the same: live and die by the serve. Last year they led the CCC with over two aces per set, and they had 28 in their only match this season against New Hope, led by Cassidy Winters' 10. Chandler Gabrio is back after putting up a team-best 2.8 kills per set, and so is libero Dana McGowan (4.8 digs per set).

The Beacons had never defeated SOU in 13 tries before last year. SOU went on to sweep in the final two meetings of the season, a conference tournament matchup in Ashland included.