SALEM – The No. 7-ranked Southern Oregon beach volleyball team started Cascade Conference play with a 3-2 comeback win over Bushnell and a tight 3-2 loss to No. 2 Corban on Friday at the Corban Beach Courts.

The Raiders (3-5 overall, 1-1 CCC) were in trouble early against Bushnell (0-4, 0-4) after dropping the first two matches in the Nos. 2 and 4 pairs. Top pair Madi Gray and Tessa Zimmermann started the rally with a straight-set rout, No. 3 pair Kira Sandoval and Lucretia Benolken tied the team score with a sweep of their own, and No. 5 pair Kendal Hadwick finished off the victory by rolling through their opponents.

Three of the five matches in SOU's dual with Corban (6-1, 4-0) went to tiebreaker sets. The Raiders took two of those – getting victories from the Zimmermann/Gray combo and No. 4 pair Natalie Perez and Andressa Ribeiro Soares – but the Warriors clinched in the fourth completed match as No. 3 pair Emmi Marks and Jessica McMillian defeated Sandoval and Benolken.

Since the start of last season, five consecutive SOU-Corban duals have been 3-2 finals.

The Raiders face the Warriors again at noon Saturday.

SOUTHERN OREGON 3, BUSHNELL 2
1. Madi Gray/Tessa Zimmermann (SOU) def. Kate Palelek/Makenna Mosher (BU) 21-13, 21-11
2. Olivia Kelzenberg/Jazmyn Wilcox (BU) def. Grace Gulbrandsen/Linda Conceicao (SOU) 24-22, 21-19
3. Kira Sandoval/Lucretia Benolken (SOU) def. Anessa Stotts/Jadeya Hayes (BU) 21-18, 21-13
4. Sydney Myhre/Laci Jespersen (BU) def. Natalie Perez/Andressa Ribeiro So. (SOU) 21-16, 21-19
5. Kendal Hadwick/Skyy Nihipali-Botelho (SOU) def. Haley Engelbrecht/Monet Panther (BU) 21-12, 21-17
Ext. Addison Weckerle/Vitoria Mattos (SOU) def. Hannah Brunston/Reagan Walker (BU) 21-15, 21-12
Order of finish: 4-2-1-3-5

CORBAN 3, SOUTHERN OREGON 2
1. Madi Gray/Tessa Zimmermann (SOU) def. Megan Dennis/Emma Bischoff (CRB) 21-18, 19-21, 15-13
2. Cammie Masanda/Danae Stokes (CRB) def. Grace Gulbrandsen/Linda Conceicao (SOU) 20-22, 21-18, 15-8
3. Emmi Marks/Jessica McMillian (CRB) def. Kira Sandoval/Lucretia Benolken (SOU) 21-13, 23-21
4. Natalie Perez/Andressa Ribeiro Soares (SOU) def. Alexis Adebodun/Gabi Engels (CRB) 20-22, 21-18, 15-11
5. Erin Scott/Payton Bazant (CRB) def. Kendal Hadwick/Skyy Nihipali-Botelho (SOU) 21-10, 21-13
Ext. Sydney Sanford/Jordan Faircloth (CRB) def. Addison Weckerle/Savannah Schwindt (SOU) 21-12, 21-16
Order of finish: 4-2-5-3-1