The Pam Pack volleyball team took the floor at Dave W. Smith Gymnasium on Tuesday with aspirations of a conference championship and the immediate goal of simply getting better everyday.

Head coach Kelly Slade’s expectations are high for a senior class that has played alongside one other for more than five years. Following a big 3-0 victory in the season opener against Rocky Mount, Washington matched up against one of the toughest high school volleyball teams in the area, J.H. Rose, for its second game.

Coming off a 19-4 finish, the Rampants return a medley of talent in 2014, including senior captains Caroline Anderson and Hope Gibson. To counter Rose’s arsenal of heavy hitters, Slade applied a rotation centered around senior standouts Adriana Tyson, Abby Walker and Alexis Brooks.

“I’ve got two lineups that I’ve settled with, so I’m trying to figure out which lineup is the best,” Slade said. “It’s not something I can just decide. I’m trying to get it all worked out before conference play starts.”

The Pam Pack battled through a tough first set. Sophomore Sarah Lynch came up with a few blocks and Allison Brantley stayed consistent defensively, but Washington dropped the set, 25-15.

Rose shut down Washington in the second set, 25-7. However, the Pam Pack stuck to its game plan in the third set and remained composed. Brooks and Tyson recorded multiple kills, while sophomore and JV recruit Briley Waters notched two assists, as Slade’s squad picked up a hard-earned win, 25-18.

As expected, Rose locked up the match with a 25-8 win in the fourth game. Tyson finished the day with six kills, three blocks and three aces, while Lynch notched two blocks and four assists.

“I feel like we did put up a fight and fought through a few really long rallies,” Slade said. “My team definitely showed me they have some fight in them. We did manage to get a game from Rose, so that was exciting. It’s the beginning of the season and we’re trying out some new things. Win or lose, I have a plan and I’m trying new things every chance I get.”

Washington will travel to Williamston on Thursday to face off against the Riverside Knights.