The different between confidence – being sure of yourself and expecting to do well and over-confidence can be a fine line, but it seems like the Nipissing Lakers men's volleyball team is walking that line.

After a strong finish to last season, the Lakers are back for another crack at the OUA in 2015-16.

With a strong core of returning impact players, along with a few nice additions, the Lakers have quite a bit of depth, to go along with difference makers.

Nipissing will open up with two home games – Friday versus Western and Saturday versus Windsor.

Lakers head coach Eric Yung said he feels his team has an incredible opportunity ahead of them and it's about playing hard every point and playing a consistent style.

"We have had a great two months of structured training on and off the court, we feel we have made juristic improvements in terms of athletes maturing and maintaining focus on the task at hand. We have dedicated our time focusing on the minor aspects of the game in hopes for major results," Yung said. "As a group, we are extremely excited to get the season started, we feel we have the talent, size, and now the experience to compete in every match against some of the players in the country"

While they found success in the standings last year, even the games they fell short in, they didn't look out of place at all, often causing headaches for the opposition.

The goal this year is to make the jump from being close and competitive to pulling out those five-set matches and coming away with wins in tight contests.

Of course it's easier said than done, however, they do have the pieces in place to make it happen if they execute the way they are capable.

The team has hit the court a few times in the pre-season, giving the opposition different looks, as well as trying out different lineups, which goes back promoting their depth.

With a number of options in different situations, Yung likes the way his team stacks up.

"Last year was a first for many of our players, it took some time to build and sustain any sort of chemistry on the court. With 11 out of the 13 players returning, we had the opportunity this pre-season to try numerous lineups against different opponents. With a couple of new additions and some position maneuvers, we are deeper than any team we have ever had," Yung stated. "We are certainly physical enough to match up against any team, if we take care of the fundamentals, we are a tough match up for anyone. Our 'X' factor this year will be Steve Wood. The sophomore player is capable of starting at the middle position as well as either OH position. We will be heavily relying on him throughout the year for his physicality and energy on the court. "

Early in the year it's always tough to gauge other teams because very few have actually played meaningful games, or games at all, and the ones that have played, likely haven't shown their top lineup.

With Western, an always tough opponent and Windsor, the Lakers will be prepared, but will also have to deal with the unknown a little bit.

The key is only focusing on their own side of the court, disregarding who they're facing.

With two home games on tap, there's a great opportunity for the Lakers to get off to a hot start and set the tone for the season.

The countdown is on and the Lakers are excited about what this year has in store for them.

"Our expectation this year is to improve with every touch and opportunity on the court. Our program has regularly improved throughout the year and we continue to expect that from our players both on and off the court. We want to continue to establish a culture that North Bay, Nipissing University, and Lakers Athletics can be proud of," Yung explained. "Our goal is to be better than the previous practice or match, we believe if we maintain our focus on our process goal, we will eventually reach our product goal which is competing into March."

The Lakers host the Mustangs Friday at 7 p.m. and the Lancers Saturday at 3 p.m. to kick off the 2015-16 OUA season.