The Wayne High volleyball team's hopes for a third straight trip to state fell short as Columbus Lakeview won an exciting five-set match in the C1-5 district final Saturday afternoon, winning 23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 26-28, 15-5.
Wayne got off to a hot start in the opening set and built a 14-9 advantage, only to see Lakeview come back to tie the game at 15-15. The two teams battled back and forth before a Lauren Pick kill and a pair of hitting errors by the Viqueens gave the Blue Devils the first set.
Lakeview came out on fire in the second set, building a 15-5 advantage. Wayne was able to cut the gap to as close as 21-17 on kills by Pick and Rubie Klausen, but Lakeview would claim the second set and carry that momentum in to the third set to take the 2-1 lead.
Wayne came back in the fourth set and staked themselves to a 14-5 lead with kills by Emily Longe and Kiara Krusemark, only to see Lakeview runn off seven straight points late in the set to forge a 22-22 tie. The teams traded points until Pick broke a 26-all tie and Lakeview erred at set point to tie the match at two games apiece.
It was all Lakeview in the finale, as they scored nine consecutive points and won the match on a dump attack by Reese Janssen to end the match, ending Wayne's 24-9 season.
Pick finished with a match-high 34 kills in the losing effort while Longe added nine and Klausen had six. Krusemark recorded 41 assists. Redden had 30 digs, Pick added 23 digs and two blocks, Reagan Backer picked up 17 digs and Krusemark had 10.
Complete story in next week's edition of The Wayne Herald.
