Desert Vista hasn't been your ordinary girls vollleyball team with three weeks now passed in the 2014 season. The Thunder reeled off their 15th victory without a defeat Saturday night, but not before getting its first real scare of the season from D-II power Sunnyslope in the title match of the Tournament of Champions Invite at Westwood High School. Scores of the match were 27-25, 25-19.

Desert Vista prevailed in its first six power-ranking matches before the TOC began Friday and Saturday. They added nine more wins, which included a semifinal victory over previously unbeaten D-I foe Hamilton. A side note to all the winning Desert Vista has done -- it hasn't lost a set in those 15 matches. The Thunder, however, came perilously close to dropping one in the title match. But even that was good news to Desert Vista coach Molly West.

"We haven't had a lot of competition before this tournament," West said. "We got some and were able to work out some bugs with the better compettition we faced."

West was perhaps dismayed and ultimately pleased with her team's 27-25 win in the opening set. Desert Vista broke out to a healthy four-to-six-point lead early and stretched it to 18-10 with the threat of blowing out Sunnyslope. Sunnyslope, the defending D-II state champs, went on a 12-2 run to lead 22-20. Desert Vista had to fend off three set points and put together a rally of its own to take the set.

"We showed some resilience," West said. "They showed they could keep working after we lost the big lead. I think we had 10 unforced errors in that set, but (Sunnyslope) made it tough with its combination of players.

Sunnyslope, which lost its season opener Sept. 9 to Corona in five sets, won five straight prior to the TOC. The Vikings posted an unbeaten record in the tournament heading to the final vs. Desert Vista adding eight wins to their total. Sunnyslope coach Amber LeTarte, always cheerful win or lose, was pleased with her team's play -- especially its effort and performance in Saturday's matches and the opening set of the title match.

"After the set we came over and talked and were super excited about coming back," LeTarte said. I felt we still had momentum even though we lost. Saturday was our best day of the two. The best we've played all season. Beating Gilbert this morning set us up for the rest of the afternoon."

Sunnyslope stayed close in the second set deep into it. A four-point run widened Desert Vista's lead to 19-14. Desert Vista picked up kills, blocks or aces for points from five different players in its final nine points. That is Desert Vista's strength -- the multitude of weapons.

Senior Jenna Tunnell led Desert Vista with nine kills, Hailey Howard had seven kills and Olivia Fairchild six kills. Maggie Byrne-Quinn and Shea Landeene picked up three blocks apiece. West felt Byrne-Quinn, Tunnell and libero Lexy Glover were particularly effective. Skylar Wine led Sunnyslope unofficially with 10 kills.

Sunnyslope avenged its only other loss to Corona in the quarterfnals and beat Horizon in the semis. Desert Vista took down Basha in the quarters and Hamilton, which beat it for the tourney title last year, in the semis.