Volleyball Recap: East Gaston Falls Despite Big Games from Cooper Payne and Morgan Styles + How To Watch

If East Gaston was feeling good fresh off their 3-0 takedown of Forestview last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Warriors took a 3-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Highland Tech Rams on Tuesday. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Warriors of the 3-0 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in October of 2024.

While East Gaston had to settle for second, they sure made a game of it, scoring at least 18 points in every set they played. The match finished with set scores of 25-18, 25-21, 14-25, 25-19.

Morgan Styles

Serving Aces

08/19/25 vs Highland Tech	4
08/12/25 @ Forestview	4
10/22/24 vs Hendersonville	3

Despite the loss, East Gaston had strong showings from Morgan Styles, who had four digs and four aces, and Cooper Payne, who had 17 digs and one assist. Styles has been hot recently, having posted three or more aces the last three times she's played.

East Gaston's defeat dropped their record down to 1-1. As for Highland Tech, the victory also got them back to even at 1-1.

East Gaston wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 3-1 loss against Burns on the 21st. As for Highland Tech, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 3-0 win against Shelby on the 21st.