Sunset coach Lad Salness and his players celebrate a point against Central Catholic. (Photo by Ed McReynolds)

Sunset volleyball coach Lad Salness isn’t making too much of his team’s impressive run at the South Albany State Preview tournament last weekend.

But it’s hard to downplay how the Apollos (14-1) performed in beating Corvallis, the top-ranked team in 5A, and Central Catholic, No. 2 in 6A.

“It’s not so much a boost as it just validates that we are talented, and if we take care of the ball, then we’re going to cause some issues for people,” Salness said. “If we don’t take care of the ball, then we’re just a good team.”

Sunset, ranked No. 4 in the 6A coaches poll, has won 11 in a row since a three-set defeat to No. 1 Jesuit in a Metro League match Sept. 6. During that stretch, the Apollos have beaten six teams ranked in the top 10 in 6A and 5A.

At South Albany, they followed 2-1 wins over North Eugene and Corvallis by outlasting Central Catholic 26-24, 25-27, 15-9 in the final match. Seniors Sophie Summers and Aria DeLaRosa had 12 kills each and senior Paige Monaghan had 36 assists against the Rams.

Coming off a season in which it missed the state tournament, Sunset is a deep, steady, veteran team. The Apollos brought back their entire eight-player rotation from last season, led by Summers (6-1) and DeLaRosa (6-2), who have committed to Washington and Fordham, respectively.

“I’ve got eight legitimate hitters,” Salness said. “You can’t put them all on the court at the same time, so we run them around and juggle and do stuff. We are really loaded this year. We are really, really deep. We have size and we have a great setter, so we’re never really out of any point.”

The attack also includes junior middle blockers Krista Santos (6-0) and Birdie Zevenbergen (5-10) and senior middle blocker Ellie Mead (5-11). The hitters have developed chemistry with Monaghan, a fourth-year varsity player.

Sophomore outside hitters Renee Geib and Sydney Hankel contributed as freshmen. The team’s three liberos – juniors Marissa George and Ashley VanGordon and senior Elana Chuaprasert – also are varsity veterans.

“Our real strength is our practices are marvelous,” Salness said. “I really have two varsity teams. That’s our magic, because of the 16 kids in practice, we get better every day.”

Sunset made the 6A quarterfinals in 2014 and 2015 and the semifinals in 2016, but fell in the second round last year in a five-set match against West Linn.

“We ran into a red-hot West Linn,” Salness said. “Krista Santos didn’t play that game, and she’s worth five to seven points any given game. Had we had all our pieces together, we probably would have survived. But it left them hungry. They don’t want to prove anything, they just want to play to their ability.”

The only blemish on the Apollos’ record is a 25-12, 25-12, 25-14 loss to Jesuit. They will get another chance at Jesuit at home Tuesday.

“We did not perform well,” Salness said of the loss. “Jesuit and us match up really well, so it’ll be a good Tuesday. We’ll get to see where we’re at. But our season doesn’t end until November.”