The Columbus North volleyball team put together a strong performance Tuesday night, defeating Conference Indiana East Division foe Southport 25-11, 25-12, 25-22.
Challenged early on in the first set, the Bull Dogs led only 5-4 before rallying off eight straight points to take a commanding 13-4 lead en route to a first set victory.
The second set played out in similar fashion for North. A seven-point run while leading 9-5 put the Cardinals in the rearview mirror.
With a commanding two-set lead, North coach Caitie Greiner substituted in multiple freshman and sophomores during the third set. With a mixture of varsity starters and younger players, the Bull Dogs played a much closer set against the Cardinals.
Coming out swinging, the Cardinals took their first lead of the contest at 3-2. However, North, led by seniors Imani Guy and Mady Johnson settled down, edging out a 25-22 clinching victory.
“We pulled a couple key players in the third set to get more of our younger girls some varsity experience so they were more comfortable with that,” Greiner said. “I was pleased at the fact that they were still able to maintain their composure and pull it out. And our normal starters who were out there really stepped it up and were leaders. It just shows the depth that we have in our program.”
Johnson led the Bull Dogs (5-3, 1-1) with 14 assists, while Lily Meyercord strung together an all-around performance with 12 assists, seven digs and two aces.
Up front, Guy led the team with nine kills and six solo blocks. Mackenzie Rooks led the way with 12 digs.
After its third victory in a row, Greiner stressed that her team needs to focus on continuing to defeat the teams that it should while still playing its style.
