Everything is going as planned so far for head coach Kelly Slade and the Washington volleyball team. Slade, who scheduled a brutal slate of out-of-conference games, is now cashing in with her team’s current performance in Eastern Plains Conference play.

Washington locked up its fourth-straight win Thursday afternoon in the form of a 3-1 victory over North Pitt.

“I felt like every time they made a mistake, they regrouped, got back together and went on a little run. They persevered,” Slade said. “We know we’re going to make mistakes, but we always talk about how it’s not about the mistake you make, but how you bounce back. “

In a strong volleyball conference, Slade expects no game to come easy. North Pitt entered with a 3-0 conference record and came out energized early in the match.

After a back-and-forth start to the first game, senior Abby Walker and sophomore Briley Waters finally got their one-two combination working efficiently. Walker recorded eight kills to go along with Waters seven assists en route to a 25-19 win.

The Panthers flipped the switch in the second game and opened on a 7-0 run. A block from hitter Adriana Tyson ended the run, but errorless play from Sara Searcy powered the Panthers to a commanding 17-9 lead. Then, the Pam Pack began to quickly chip away.

“My girls proved to me that they’re fighters,” Slade said. “They did quite come back and win, but they definitely came back and showed they can work hard. I think they proved that over the next two games.”

Despite coming back and taking a 23-20 lead, a smart timeout from head coach Amanda Morris got the Panthers back on track. North Pitt took the second game, 25-23.

Playing a more offensive-minded rotation, Washington closed out the final two games emphatically, winning the third 25-15 and the fourth 25-11.

Tyson finished with 20 kills, six blocks and 40 digs, while Walker notched three aces, 19 kills and six blocks. Waters and sophomore Sarah Lynch, Washington’s top setters, notched 54 assists combined through four games.

“We need to continue giving 100 percent on every single play,” Slade said. “Right now, our cohesiveness and teamwork is going to help us be successful down the road in the conference.”

Washington will face Northside in Pinetown on Monday at 6 p.m. in the first of a two-game series.