Coming off a brutal four-match tournament in which it took three state-ranked teams to the wire, the Columbus East volleyball team wasn’t quite as sharp Monday night as it was on Saturday.
Still, the Olympians were good enough to put together a 25-17, 26-24, 25-13 victory against Shelbyville on senior night.
“The girls were sluggish, and I understand that,” East assistant coach Terry Sweasy said. “They played back-to-back-to-back Saturday, four matches, and the first three matches went three sets. So they were tired, and I knew they were going to be tired when they went into the match because Saturday was such a long day for them. But they hung in there, and they got the job done.”
Sweasy was filling in with head coaching duties for the final time while new head coach Ellyn McIntosh finishes her maternity leave. McIntosh plans to be back at practice today and guide the Olympians in Thursday’s home match against Providence.
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Monday, East celebrated its two seniors, Regann Jessee and Lexia Capes.
“Senior night was really great tonight,” Jessee said. “I absolutely love the intensity we brought. We came off a strong weekend tournament. Even though senior night was brought forward tonight (instead of having it later in the season), it didn’t change the way we reacted.”
After falling behind 4-0 in the first set, the Olympians (5-3) cruised the rest of that set. But then they ran into trouble in the second.
The Golden Bears took a 17-13 lead in the second set before East’s Katy Jordan came through with a soft kill and then served four consecutive points to give the Olympians an 18-17 lead. The teams then traded points until East took a 24-22 lead. Shelbyville came back with two points to tie it, but a Reese Whitehead kill and an Olympians block closed out the set.
In the third set, East jumped out to a 6-1 lead and never looked back.
“It was absolutely amazing,” Capes said. “It felt good to come out with my teammates and have a win on senior night. We’ve been playing together for so long, and that helped us tonight.”
Whitehead led the Olympians with nine kills and 16 digs. Jordan recorded 23 assists, and Gabby Dean had two solo and two assist blocks.
Also for East, Dean pounded six kills, and Capes added five kills. Libby Dippold notched one solo and three assist blocks, Saige Stahl had a block, Cadence Gilley tallied 11 digs and Kenzie Foster contributed eight digs.
Jessee has moved from middle hitter to right-side hitter since aggravating a torn labial.
“It doesn’t affect me during the game,” Jessee said. “I just take precautions before the game, and then I’m ready to go on the floor. I honestly play whatever role is needed for the team. I’m not picky. I’m not a one-position player. If the right side is what the team needs me for, then I’ll play that.”
The emergence of Dippold as a middle hitter has allowed Jessee to move to the right side. The 6-foot-2 Jessee has been playing beside 6-4 middle hitter Gabby Dean, giving the Olympians a big block on that side of the court.
“We did that for two reasons,” Sweasy said. “With her hip injury, it’s less movement there on the outside, and Libby Dippold has just stepped up. That ball comes off her hand like a rocket. So I think that was a good move for us.”
