Columbus East High School

COLUMBUS — After securing their first two victories of the season over the weekend at the Fishers March Madness tournament, the Columbus East boys volleyball team returned to their home court Thursday night looking to build momentum. Playing in front of a vocal crowd in the Orange Pit, the Olympians battled visiting Perry Meridian in a three-set match but came up short, falling 25-22, 25-15, 25-16. The opening set was tightly contested, with East holding a 22-20 advantage late. However, the Falcons surged ahead with a 5-0 run to steal the set and never looked back. Perry Meridian maintained control in the second set and overcame an early 7-1 deficit in the third with a six-point run that shifted momentum for good. Columbus East (2-5) had a strong individual performance from Alex Duncan, who recorded four kills, 15 assists, three blocks and three aces. Jon Ruch and Trevor Ernst each added two digs for the Olympians. Tyler Ernst finished with two kills, one dig and one ace, while Alex Wenzler contributed two kills and two blocks. Jack Smith and Grayson Watters chipped in with two kills and one block apiece. Justin Lopez added one block. The Olympians played without senior captain Ian Scholl, who was sidelined due to a concussion sustained during tournament play last weekend. The O's are back in action: Saturday, April 5th at Monrovia High School - Monrovia March Madness 9 a.m.