It’s probably fair to describe the Pella volleyball team as very new in 2022 — but that doesn’t mean they won’t be competitive this coming fall.

The Dutch were co-Little Hawkeye Conference champions with Oskaloosa and Indianola and graduated five seniors that all played in at least 101 of the team’s 103 sets last fall. Pella Head Coach Mallory Peterson says this is definitely a different look, but she believes by late in the season, they can be a dangerous opponent.

Key returners:
#10 Jasmine Namminga, Senior, Middle
Namminga brings the most experience back of any Dutch volleyball player, having made starts in all three of her varsity seasons dating back to 2019. If Pella is going to have any success, a lot will rest on this senior’s shoulders. The 6-1 middle blocker has made 86 appearances in the starting rotation, tallying 451 kills and 160 blocks. Jasmine played alongside a deep and talented Class of 2022, but with the spotlight shining more brightly on her, it could lead to a big breakout season as Namminga becomes the focal point.

#9 Mia Warner, Senior, Outside Hitter
A talented multi-sport athlete who may be best on the soccer pitch or basketball court, Warner has seen the floor for volleyball plenty in the past two years, appearing in 58 varsity matches for the Dutch. Mia could be due for a big leap in production, and it might be what the Dutch need to help avoid defenses focusing on Namminga. There’s no doubt Warner has the athletic ability to succeed — it’s a matter of how far her volleyball skills have been sharpened. Mia has 46 kills with Pella.

#18 Abby Warner, Junior, Defensive Specialist
The same can be said about Abby as her older sister — and the younger sister is definitely an elite soccer player and a strong hoopster, Warner made a lot of strides as a sophomore and filled a critical need defensively in the second half of 2021, sliding into the libero role. Her overwhelming athletic ability helped make up for a lot of growing pains, but by the end of last fall, she was starting to figure out how to play strong defense at a varsity level. Abby finished with 201 digs and 42 service aces — but she’ll look to improve an 81% serving success rate and find the next level of passing to help a largely new offense.

#14 Katie Pollock, Senior, Defensive Specialist
Katie started 2021 as the starting libero but self-admittedly struggled at times to keep up with the hard hitting of a tough Pella schedule. Pollock found her home on the service line, racking up 26 aces and an 88% efficiency rating. Katie is coming off of a strong softball season after an early season injury and made significant strides throughout the spring on the track. Another offseason of work and improvement could make Pollock more of an asset across the backline both as a passer and server.

Pella opens the 2022 volleyball season at home Tuesday, August 23rd vs. Fairfield.