An exciting run through postseason play for the Pella Christian volleyball team came to an abrupt stop last night in Cedar Rapids, as the Lady Eagles were defeated by Lake Mills in three straight games in the opening round of the Class 2-A State Tournament. The Bulldogs won a hard-fought first game 25-23, then took game two 25-20 behind a big comeback midway through the set. Pella Christian kept themselves within striking distance throughout the third game, but the Bulldogs took advantage of opportunities down the stretch to win game three 25-22.

Lady Eagles’ Head Volleyball Coach John Evenhouse said the loss was a hard pill to swallow for a team that had every intention of competing for a state title.

“You go into those figuring you would like to make it to the championship game. We played very well at the end of the year – we’d been beset by injuries this year – and we’ve got everybody back and everybody healthy, and we’ve had some great practices,” said Evenhouse. “You just figure, we’re on our way now, we’re on a roll; if we could just get ourselves into that semifinal game and championship game, but we just didn’t come through and do it.”

Pella Christian Seniors Meredith Fopma and Ashley Van Kooten finished their careers at Pella Christian as some of the match leaders, with Fopma nailing down a team-high 10 kills, while Van Kooten had a match-best 19 digs and added 2 aces from the service line. Sarah Faber led the team with 24 assists, and Hannah Vermeer tallied three blocks.

Lake Mills advances to the Class 2-A State Semifinals to play Mediapolis tonight at 7:30 p.m. Pella Christian finishes the year with an overall mark of 26-12.

Seniors Meredith Fopma and Ashley Van Kooten finished their careers at Pella Christian as some of the match leaders, with Fopma nailing down a team-high 10 kills, while Van Kooten had a match-best 19 digs and added two aces from the service line. Lake Mills advances to the Class 2-A State Semifinals to play Mediapolis tonight at 7:30 p.m. Pella Christian finishes the year with an overall mark of 26-12.

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