Following a strong weekend at the Ames Tournament, the Pella Christian volleyball team finds itself with a 6-1 overall record entering their first Little Hawkeye Conference match of the season. Lady Eagles’ head coach Cindy Nikkel says the team’s physical conditioning has a lot to do with the quick start to the season.

Nikkel says it was the groundwork laid by another Pella Christian coach, track coach Kevin Herdegen, that has made the Lady Eagles quicker and stronger on the court.

“We just carried that on, that was something that we were going to do as well, but he [Herdegen] had already started it. Most of our starters were already in his track program,” said Nikkel.

“It makes a huge difference, because they’re stronger and we’re able to do more things. People were putting on more muscle over the offseason, and there’s a lot of pop off the floor with our vertical jumping, so that’s been exciting.”

The Pella Christian volleyball team will get in a few more practices this week before hosting Norwalk on Thursday night to open the conference schedule.