Raiders return to county after five set win over LC8 foes Wellington – Morning Journal

Getting to a familiar place for the Columbia volleyball team meant defeating a familiar foe.

The 14th-seeded Raiders returned to the district round after a five-set win over LC8 rival Wellington on October 19, 25-13, 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 15-13. They will travel to Smithville on Oct. 23 to play in the Division VI district semifinals against No. 5 Mogadore.

Colombia is enjoying the opportunity to continue playing.

“We know what a privilege it is,” Columbia coach Kelsey Geanourakos said. “There are so many schools that right now these athletes would love to come and train today. We can do this. Their work ethic, their desire to be here, everyone has that passion. Nobody wants their season to come to an end, so what do we need to do to be better than yesterday.”

Columbia (14-9) was 1-4 in five-set matches entering the playoffs, including a pair in which it led 2-0. It was a similar scenario in the qualifying final, with the Raiders winning the first two sets before Wellington won the next two.

Instead of losing the fifth and final set as they had previously, Colombia gutted it out and emerged victorious 15-13. This is a sign of the team’s growth as the season progresses.

“I think it was a really important win for us,” Columbia senior Bree Heidecker said. “It’s good momentum for the rest of the postseason. “Beating a team we’ve struggled with all season and finally being able to put it all together gives us the momentum to hopefully go further.”