Columbus East High School

The Columbus East girls tennis team faced one of their toughest tests of the young season Monday evening, going up against perennial powerhouse Columbus North. The Olympians struggled to find momentum on the road and dropped all five varsity matches in a 5-0 team loss. With several players competing in unfamiliar roles, East never quite settled in against a North team that showed its trademark consistency and depth. The doubles matches proved especially challenging for the Olympians, who couldn't gain traction against a pair of solid North pairings. At No. 1 doubles, East’s duo of Luci Morales and Stephani Christopher fell in straight sets, and the same result followed at No. 2 doubles for Saya Hauser and Abbey Morales. In singles play, Columbus East’s Lauren Degner returned to the top spot and competed hard against a strong opponent but fell in two sets. Lilli Smith and Zoe White, in the No. 2 and No. 3 singles spots, also battled but came up short in their matches. Now 0-3 on the season, the Olympians are continuing to build experience and look for growth during the early portion of their schedule. Though results haven’t gone their way so far, there were moments of solid play and individual effort that suggest improvement is within reach. Columbus East will look to regroup quickly as they travel to Shelbyville High School tonight (4/15) to battle the Golden Bears- match time is set for 5:30 p.m.. With a young roster and several players still settling into their roles, the team remains focused on development as they navigate through the early part of their schedule.