The last time the Pella volleyball team qualified for state, four seniors graduated from that squad in 2018-19 and are still making a big impact at the collegiate level.

Kennady Klein (pictured at the top) — a fourth year player at Nebraska Wesleyan, was the American Rivers Conference Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts last week against Dubuque and Loras College. The senior recorded 53 digs over eight sets, with only one reception error, and had three service aces in each of the matches. Kennady currently ranks 2nd in the league in Digs per Set (4.8).
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Fellow ARC athlete Natalie Clayberg continues her career with Wartburg, and as of this update, leads the conference in aces per set at 0.53, with 39 total in 73 sets played. Clayberg has been an all-around player for the Knights, tallying 152 kills with a .156 hitting percentage, while also adding 156 digs — all in the top 30 among league players. Clayberg ranks 12th overall in points in the American Rivers Conference.
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Emily Holterhaus recently achieved 1,000 career kills at the University of Northern Iowa, and is the top offensive player on a Panthers team in 2022 that is undefeated in the Missouri Valley Conference seven games into the first round robin of the fall. Holterhaus has been named to the All-Tournament team at both the UNI Invitational and Hawkeye Invitational. Emily has the most points statistically for the Panthers in her 4th full season, racking up 236 kills to lead the team with a .230 hitting efficiency.
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Finally healthy enough to play after several years out, Jenna Schulte hasn’t missed a beat for the #25 in NCAA Division II Jennies of Central Missouri. The former middle blocker for the Dutch has 97 total blocks as of this Wednesday, to go with 125 kills and a .277 efficiency rating. Schulte leads the country in blocks per set at 1.47 among all DII athletes.
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The four players above were a big part of a successful run for the Pella volleyball program, with Holterhaus and Clayberg having played at the state tournament in all four seasons from 2015 to 2018. Over that span, this group of four was a part of the team that won 129 games to just 30 losses, including the 2016 Dutch — who went undefeated in the Little Hawkeye Conference to nab the league championship and ultimately finished 2nd in Class 4A.

Before the fall season began, we highlighted the athletes all competing in college this fall here. As the high school fall season begins to end, more updates will be given about Pella Dutch playing at the next level.