After a few tournaments and a 7-2 start, the No. 11 in 4A Pella volleyball team seems to be building toward a squad focused on remarkable balance, which is fueled, in part, by the multi-sport talents of the athletes on the court.
Senior Claire Smock is this year’s libero, just a few months removed from appearances at the state soccer tournament and a state tennis championship. She says there are several main contributors on the team who play multiple sports or are involved in multiple activities, which she thinks helps bolster their talent on the volleyball court.
“Coach [Joel] Allman has been talking with me this year, especially as I’m coming into the libero spot after Kyli Heimstra, and I feel like we can use our skills from the other sports to bring it into here and be able to see the court better or encourage our teammates in a certain way.”
Their deep starting lineup is also a major factor, according to Smock, meaning any of their hitters are ready to pounce on any given point.
“I think that the amount of skill and talent we have — we are grateful for it, and I think that’s something we can take even better advantage of in the future, knowing that we have a really widespread offense and a lot of options, and I think that’s a great gift that a lot of teams don’t have.”
Pella was off this week with a volleyball conference bye, and will resume action this Saturday on the long road west to the Glenwood tournament.