Columbus East High School

Columbus East H.S.— The Columbus East volleyball team hosted cross-town rival Columbus North Thursday night in the Orange Pit but was unable to find much momentum, falling in straight sets, 25-13, 25-21, 25-16. After a slow start in the opening set, the Olympians showed signs of life in the second. A strong serving stretch from Kenlee Gault helped East build an 11-6 advantage, and the home team later held a 19-14 lead. However, North answered with a late run to swing the set back in their favor. In the third, East battled to an 8-8 tie before the Bulldogs pulled away for good. Despite the loss, several Olympians turned in solid efforts. Gault finished with six assists, seven digs, and an ace. Addy Dean added five kills and three blocks at the net, while freshman setter Payten Osborn contributed six assists. Chloe Gill picked up seven digs, Lilah Klei tallied two blocks and served an ace, and Krea Martin notched four digs. Anika Jenkins gave the Olympians an offensive spark with four kills and two blocks. With the defeat, East slipped to 10-17 on the season. The Olympians will look to regroup at home next week with back-to-back matches — a Tuesday contest against Madison followed by a Thursday test against Class 3A No. 2 Roncalli.