FAIRMONT — Tuesday night when the St. Pauls volleyball team traveled to Fairmont, they were closers.

The Bulldogs used a late run in all three sets to dispatch the Golden Tornadoes, sweeping the match with set wins of 25-22, 25-22 and 25-18.

“It has not been that way all season, so that’s something that we’ve been practicing is staying in the game,” St. Pauls coach Jory Barnes said.

In the first set, after Fairmont (5-9, 5-5 TRC) used a 6-0 run to tie the set at 17-17, St. Pauls (7-6, 6-3 TRC) scored eight of the last 13 points to earn the set win.

In the last two sets, the Bulldogs made big comebacks to win each. Both runs involved serving stints of Savanna Lowery and Michelle Cristobal.

“They’re a good duo; setter and outside hitter usually have good chemistry, and they do,” Barnes said. “They both have a hard-working mentality that you can see on the court. Their attitude carries us as well as their performance on the field.”

In the second, Fairmont led 19-12 before St. Pauls finished the set on a 13-3 run. Brianna Gray served for four points of the run and Cristobal for five.

The Bulldogs closed out the match with a similar run in the third, using a 13-2 stretch to turn a 16-12 deficit into a 25-18 win. Lowery and Cristobal each served for five points of the run and Jasmine Acosta for three.

Fairmont coach Mike Baker said his team struggling to close was simply a matter of inexperience.

“When you have a young team, that’s the problem you’re going to have, have a hard time closing out,” Baker said. “We play everybody tough, we’ll give you a match; right now we just don’t have the experience to close you out. They made plays, especially in the crucial times. We didn’t.”

Both squads play again on the road Thursday. St. Pauls will be at South Columbus and Fairmont at Whiteville.

In other Three Rivers volleyball action, East Bladen defeated Red Springs in four sets.

Lady Rams tennis edges Hoke

PEMBROKE — The Purnell Swett girls tennis team edged Hoke 5-4 on senior day at home.

Freshman Raven Cummings and sophomore Sydney Brooks won 6-3 at No. 3 doubles for the deciding point.

Juniors Mya Sampson and Lyric Locklear also won in doubles, while senior Malina Cummings, Sampson and Brooks won in singles to claim the fifth league win for Lady Rams.

Purnell Swett goes to Lumberton on Thursday.

Scotland wins ninth straight over Lady Rams

LAURINBURG — The Purnell Swett volleyball team lost in three sets on the road at Scotland on Tuesday.

With scores of 25-20, 25-15 and 25-17, the Lady Scots stayed in tie for first in the Sandhills Athletic Conference.

Leading Purnell Swett were Abigail Lowry with five kills and Alona Locklear with six blocks and a pair of kills.

Purnell Swett takes third at Foxfire

FOXFIRE — Behind a third-place overall showing by freshman Lauren Locklear, the Purnell Swett girls golf team claimed a third-place finish at the Sandhills Athletic Conference match at Foxfire Golf and Country Club on Monday.

Locklear’s nine-hole score of 38 was three shots off the pace of medalist Jaclyn Kenzel from Pinecrest. The Lady Patriots won the event with a team score of 153. Jack Britt finished second at 189 and Purnell Swett was in third at 205. Lumberton finished sixth with a 258.

To go along with Locklear’s 2-over nine-hole score, Madison Deese shot a 43, Rachel Lockear shot a 60 and Leanna Deese had a 64.

Lumberton’s Isabella Oxendine posted a team-best 52.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian Fairmont’s Vera McNeill spikes the ball against St. Pauls.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_IMG_3518-FOR-WEB.jpgChris Stiles | The Robesonian Fairmont’s Vera McNeill spikes the ball against St. Pauls.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian St. Pauls’ Brianna Gray serves against Fairmont. St. Pauls earned the three-set Three Rivers Conference win on Tuesday over the Golden Tornadoes.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_IMG_3530-FOR-PAPER.jpgChris Stiles | The Robesonian St. Pauls’ Brianna Gray serves against Fairmont. St. Pauls earned the three-set Three Rivers Conference win on Tuesday over the Golden Tornadoes.

By Chris Stiles

Staff Writer

Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1989 or by email at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter at @StilesOnSports.