CARY - After four sets of play between two of the Tri-Nine Conference's best volleyball teams, Holly Springs coach Jenn Ivanoff and Green Hope coach Karl Redelfs each came away with similar thoughts: "We've got a chance to be really good."

Redelfs' feelings were more targeted towards the remainder of this year. The Falcons boast a roster that has more players worthy of starting time than actual starting positions, including four seniors and eight juniors.

Meanwhile, Ivanoff couldn't help but get excited about down the road. Her Golden Hawks start two freshmen, and the early returns have been outstanding.

But the better team with an optimistic coach on Thursday night was Green Hope, which won the match three games to one with scores of 25-11, 25-16, 25-27 and 25-10. With Fuquay-Varina losing to Cary 3-1 that same night, Green Hope remained one of two Tri-Nine teams without a conference loss.

The other? Defending state champion Apex, winners of 48 consecutive conference matches. The Cougars haven't lost a match since the 2009 state playoffs.

There isn't one Green Hope (5-0, 2-0) player who doesn't know about Apex's recent dominance of the league. They also know when their first chance to dethrone the Cougars is -- this upcoming Tuesday at Apex (game time is 5:30 p.m.).

"That's going to be a big match for us emotionally and mentally," senior Christina Vucich said. "I've been on the team for four years but I feel like this year, this is our year. We're more confident and we're ready."

Redelfs, in his second year at Green Hope, couldn't help but bring up the pending showdown as well.

"We're going to be working hard," he said. "I can tell you the girls are especially looking forward to it,"

The Falcons have defeated three of the top teams from Raleigh in non-conference play this year (Leesville Road, Wakefield, Sanderson) and have done so with several standout players contributing in more than one area.

Vucich, a Duke recruit, had 21 kills against Holly Springs, including eight in the decisive final game, and nine digs. Senior libero Riley Dixon had 11 aces and 21 digs. Senior setter Kaitlin Quinn, a Winthrop recruit, proved her all-around game by handing out a whopping 38 assists and adding 10 digs and five kills.

Juniors Madison Brown, Julie Ren and Rayna Yvars combined for 22 kills, six aces and 14 digs.

"We've played together quite a lot," Brown said of the team's experienced lineup. "We talk well and really go well together."

While Holly Springs fell to 2-2 (2-1) on the season, Ivanoff was confident that her group had learned something from playing the more experienced Falcons. While Green Hope relies on senior leadership, the Golden Hawks have made freshman Jaclyn Brewington a co-captain of this year's team.

Brewington had seven kills for Holly Springs, while classmate Mackenzie Reeves had 10. Kaelyn Bryson, a sophomore, added six kills and five blocks. Holly Springs has just two seniors -- libero Sarah Willadsen and Hunter Rimmer.

After going 10-22 in their previous two years of play in the Tri-Nine Conference, the Golden Hawks are poised to break through with early wins against Panther Creek and Cary.

"Our biggest enemy was ourselves tonight, but next time we'll be ready for them," Ivanoff said. "We are a very young team, but we are also a team to look out for. I look forward to the success we'll have later on."