The Brookhaven High volleyball program had a big night in Sinclair Gymnasium on Monday in front of its home crowd.

The junior high, junior varsity and varsity teams all captured wins against visiting Franklin County.

The varsity won 3-1 in their match to pick up their first victory of the season. Previously, BHS dropped a 3-1 decision at Lawrence County, a 3-0 loss at home to West Marion and a 3-2 loss at McComb to start the year.

The Panthers and coach Charlton Grey will be back in Sinclair on Thursday to take on the visiting Salem Wildcats.

Franklin County began offering volleyball in 2020 and BHS added the sport a year later. Monday was the first time for the Panthers to best the Bulldogs on the court.

Communication was strong for the Panthers throughout the match as the team was led by its upperclassmen core of seniors Bailee Gamble, Olivia Smith, and Micah Walker, and juniors Jamaria Cook, Jayonna Pendleton, Addy Foster, and Julianna Townsend.

“Our junior high started the night with a great win for coach Angelia Hardy and the junior varsity team came through with a great comeback to win 2-1 in their match,” said Grey. “Our varsity group did a great job of being spaced, finding our hitters and making our serves count. Their communication is vital in this sport.”

Salem comes in with a 5-0 record as of press time. The Wildcats from Walthall County have beaten North Pike (3-0), McComb (3-0) and Lawrence County (3-1). They also have tournament wins over Franklin County (2-0) and Tylertown (2-0).

“We’ve played hard thus far in our games and against Franklin County we were able to put it all together,” said Grey. “I tell my young ladies that we must continue to grow and learn from our mistakes and that success if built over time and trust begins each day. Our motto is that a strong unit is hard to divide.”