The season-high 35-kill performance from Bunn senior hitter Tainasha Vines put an end to the Pam Pack’s championship dreams Tuesday night in the second round of the 2-A state playoffs.

For the first time this season, hitters Adriana Tyson and Abby Walker were matched up front by a seemingly unstoppable force, Vines, a long jump and triple jump state champion. Her ability to elevate clearly translated to the hardwood and left the Pam Pack back line scrambling for digs, as Washington fell 3-1.

Bunn, a team that finished fourth in the competitive Northern Carolina Conference with a 14-7 record, matched Washington early on defense and limited unforced errors. Senior Allison Brantley’s 13 digs in the first game was a testament to the consistent play of the Washington back line, but the team failed to narrow the deficit up front. Bunn powered its way to a 10-point win in the first game.

In the second game, Brantley and Alexis Brooks remained poised defensively, while Tyson and Walker began to catch fire at the net, notching a combined eight kills. Washington maintained a healthy lead and came out of the second game with a 25-19 win.

“We got in a hole a couple times and was just really proud of how my girls fought to get out of the hole,” said head coach Kelly Slade. “They worked really hard against a great team.”

Despite the increased momentum, Vines continued to rack up kills at middle hitter, triggering desperate dives and attempted digs from the Pam Pack. Tyson and Brantley both recorded double-digit digs in the third game and Tyson even had her best offensive game with seven kills, but it wasn’t enough, as the Wildcats locked up a 25-18 win, giving Washington its first late-match deficit in two weeks.

With its back against the wall, the Pam Pack fought through a back-and-forth fourth game, trying to keep the ball away from Vines. Washington kept it close and even led 21-20 at one point, but the Wildcats finished on a 5-1 run and locked up the match.

Tyson finished with 19 kills and eight blocks in her final game for the Pam Pack, while Walker picked up 11 kills and nine blocks. The pair represents two of the five seniors in Slade’s rotation that have remained consistent throughout the season.

“The five seasons have made our season as successful as it’s been,” Slade said. “Of course, I would of liked to gone further in the playoffs, but we did achieve a lot of the goals that we set — everything but win this game. The five seniors meant a lot to us being successful this year and are going to be hard to replace.”

With the loss, Washington finished with a 17-8 record for the second-consecutive season, while Bunn advances to face No. 1-seeded Croatan in the third round.