PEMBROKE — Monday’s victory over Fairmont wasn’t just a convincing win for the Purnell Swett volleyball team, which earned a straight-sets victory over their in-county nonconference foes. The Rams got progressively better throughout the night, winning each successive set by a bigger margin than the last.

It added up to wins of 25-17, 25-16 and 25-11 as the Rams swept the Golden Tornadoes.

“I’m very pleased with the way they performed, the way they attacked,” Purnell Swett coach Corey Deese said. “They didn’t fall asleep; there were some little segments where they did fall asleep a little bit, that we’ve got to work on, but they continued to attack, even out of system, and we’ve been working a lot on that. I was really pleased to see some of that actually take place in the game, and to see the success come from it, that drives them for the next game.”

Purnell Swett (1-1) won the first set after breaking a 17-17 tie with an 8-0 run on the serve of Kesler Collins.

The Rams continued the momentum into the second set, taking a 7-0 lead as Kiley Locklear served. Fairmont (0-2) closed the lead to 13-10, but the Rams finished the set by outscoring the Golden Tornadoes 12-7 the rest of the way.

Purnell Swett led 8-5 in the third before a 17-6 run over the rest of the set helped the Rams reach the 25-point threshold to clinch the set and match.

“I just think that we have the grit to just push through, and I feel like we don’t want to be looked down (on) as a team anymore,” Rams senior setter Adisyn Bland said. “We really want to make a statement of some sort, saying that we’re still here, we’re still going to fight.”

Bland had five aces, four kills and four blocks for the Rams, while Anileigh Locklear had seven kills and eight digs.

“(Adisyn) is a playmaker,” Deese said. “Her and Anileigh both have the power to make everybody stand up and everybody kind of get into the game — not only their teammates, but some of our fans, and the bench. Just kind of that wow factor that we’ve been missing, but I think we have a little bit more this year, as long as they can keep having the passes and getting in good positions to kill the ball. She’s aggressive and she’s a leader, and she strives to be dominant on the court, which is really what we need.”

“I’m proud of my serves,” Bland said. “I’ve been having issues with, kind of like stage fright a little bit, but I’m just happy that I have a supportive team to stand by my side, and our chemistry is just really well and it makes me want to play better for them.”

Kensley Newberry had two aces, two kills and seven digs for Fairmont, while Jerrian Taylor had 31 digs.

“I think we’re good, working together as a team,” Fairmont coach Kaitlyn Hunt said. “Serve and receive is our biggest attribute that we need to come, and also when we get that first bump, I think we need to take that first swing and get that first kill, and take more swings and take more of an approach. The more they work and create that bond, it’s going to be good.”

Monday’s match was the start of the first normal week the teams have seen this season. After missing four days of practice due to Tropical Storm Debby’s impact on the area, the Rams and Golden Tornadoes each played catch-up in practice last week and played their season-opening match, a loss for both; a gas leak on the Purnell Swett campus last Thursday also forced a match between the teams to be postponed, with campus having to be closed for the rest of the day as a result of the incident.

“It has been so chaotic,” Deese said. “Debby came through so we sat at home for a week, then we came and practiced, then we had a gas leak, and so we had to (postpone) that game, so it’s been crazy. This week I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.”

Bland says the team’s togetherness has helped through that adversity.

“I know we haven’t had enough practices, really, because of the hurricane and all that. But I just think our team really fits well together,” Bland said. “I think a lot of the chemistry that the team (has) — I’ve been on varsity for three years, so I know a lot of the ins and outs, but I think chemistry has a lot to do with playing and stuff like that.”

Purnell Swett played Tuesday at Red Springs; the result was unavailable at press time.

Fairmont will seek its first win of the season as the Golden Tornadoes host Lumberton on Wednesday.

“I’m really just looking on the growth as in team bonding, as in keeping that team, keeping that energy, keeping that morale, because when the energy’s (not) there it’s hard to compete,” Hunt said. “Hopefully we come out and play together and push through no matter what, whatever we face in each match.”\