Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Chloe Gilley became the most versatile player for Columbus East this volleyball season.
Whether it was her service game, chasing down and setting up the ball for her attackers or making a huge dig, the Olympian senior libero was one of the biggest key pieces for the team this season. She led the Olympians with 534 digs and had 69 assists and 33 aces in earning The Republic Volleyball Player of the Year honors.
In the offseason, Gilley spent time honing in on her craft. She worked, trained, took lessons with her club coaches at Circle City Volleyball Club and went to Maximum Velocity Performance to work with Nate Frasier.
With the loss of many graduating seniors from last year’s team, Gilley knew she’d have to step into one of the leading roles this season.
“I’ve been playing volleyball since I was very young,” Gilley said, “and I feel my knowledge of the game helped me be a better leader for my teammates.”
The youngest of three siblings, Gilley knew the recipe for success before she started high school. She watched her brother Cole, a 2020 East grad, be the star pitcher for the baseball team that resulted in a sectional title in 2018 and a state runner-up finish in 2019. He also was the starting quarterback for the football team for two years, winning a regional title in 2018.
Her sister Cadence, a 2022 grad, won a sectional title with the volleyball team in 2019. Chloe was teammates with Cadence when they won the sectional in 2021.
Cole currently is playing baseball at Indiana State, and Cadence is a volleyball player with the Sycamores.
While Chloe Gilley wasn’t afraid to admit the success of older siblings added a little more pressure for her to live up to the expectations, it only added more fuel and determination for her to make her own mark at East. She credits Cadence and Cole for helping to pave the way to making her the athlete she is today.
“She’s had a huge role in shaping me as an athlete and as a person. She has no doubt shown me what it is like to lead,” Chloe said. “She’s been an incredible leader, she’s an incredible competitor and to watch her and my brother grow up as athletes, that’s huge in how that shaped me as an athlete.”
Chloe helped the Olympians win sectional titles in 2021 and 2022. She was an All-Hoosier Hills Conference selection this year and was named co-MVP at her team’s postseason awards banquet. She was also named a senior Indiana All-Star by the Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association earlier this month and played in the North-South All-Star Game on Sunday.
“She has worked really hard. Whether it was in my gym or during club season, she just gets after it. She is one of the hardest workers we have,” said former East coach Ellyn McIntosh, who announced her resignation last week. “When she puts her mind to something, she does not let up until she either meets that goal or surpasses it. She definitely led for us, I think vocally, as well as performance-wise. Sometimes, she just lets her play speak for itself.”
Chloe is ready to begin the next chapter of her volleyball career. She will be reunited with her sister at Indiana State next year. Playing as a collegiate volleyball player has been a dream of hers since she first picked up a volleyball at 3 years old.
Chloe is so excited about joining the team that she contemplated graduating a semester early to join the Sycamores for their spring training and workouts before deciding to wait until spring to graduate. She calls it a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to be on the court with her sister, not only in high school, but in college, as well.
While her career at East is over, Chloe learned so much from her time with the program that she will take with her on to college.
“With East volleyball, it’s about tradition, it’s about family,” she said. “We’re all super close. I haven’t had a team throughout my four years here that hasn’t been super close, so one thing I’ll definitely take with me is the family aspect of it.”
The Republic All-Area Volleyball team:
Chloe Gilley, Columbus East: The senior led the Olympians with 534 digs and had 69 assists and 33 aces.
Caroline Frost, Columbus East: The senior led the Olympians with 292 kills and 59 blocks and had 97 digs and 30 aces.
Jenna Guse, Columbus East: The senior recorded 256 kills, 24 blocks, 214 digs and 25 aces.
Kennedy Horn, Columbus North: The junior led the Bull Dogs with 325 kills and 39 aces and had 67 blocks and 90 digs.
Karen Dutro, Columbus North: The sophomore led the Bull Dogs with 80 blocks and had 235 kills and 40 digs.
Morgan Osborn, Columbus North: The sophomore led the Bull Dogs with 527 digs and 39 aces and had 57 assists.
Kenze Bostic, Hauser: The senior led the Jets with 333 kills and had 51 blocks and had 21 assists, 228 digs and 38 aces.
Kayden Miller, Hauser: The senior led the Jets with 816 assists and had 47 kills, 26 blocks, 196 digs and 50 aces.
Aniston Bostic, Hauser: The junior led the Jets with 111 blocks and had 228 kills and had 18 assists, 164 digs and 40 aces.
Charlee Barlow, Jennings County: The senior led the Panthers with 270 kills and had 51 blocks, 160 digs and 37 aces.
Avynn Belding, Jennings County: The junior recorded 187 kills 46 blocks, 46 digs and 11 aces.
Addison Martin, Jennings County: The sophomore led the Panthers with 789 assists and 58 aces and had 127 kills, 44 blocks and 279 digs.
Zsophia Sharp, South Decatur: The sophomore led the Cougars with 201 kills, 301 digs and 47 aces and had 75 blocks.
MacKenzie Bieker, Edinburgh: The senior led the Lancers with 239 kills and 106 blocks and had 554 digs and 19 aces.
Laura Roeder, Trinity Lutheran: The junior led the Cougars with 584 digs and 89 aces and had 76 assists.
Addie Darlage, Trinity Lutheran: The junior led the Cougars with 801 assists and had 84 kills, 23 blocks, 268 digs and 68 aces.
Carson Bowling, Trinity Lutheran: The junior led the Cougars with 357 kills and had 56 blocks, 146 digs and 43 aces.
Madison Keith, Trinity Lutheran: The junior led the Cougars with 59 blocks and had 316 kills, 16 assists, 276 digs and 41 aces.
Honorable mention
Brown County: Anna Stogsdill. Columbus Christian: Emma Murray. Columbus East: Addison Emery, Krea Martin. Columbus North: Reese Edwards, Kaitlin White. Edinburgh: Kyah Streeval, Jessica Walsh. Hauser: Mattie Foster. Jennings County: Abrey Belding, Aylah Belding, Sydney Kegley, Mallory Manowitz. South Decatur: Paige McQueen, Makayla Somers, Taylor Somers. Trinity Lutheran: Ava Blomenberg.
