Entering their twelfth match of the season, the Pella Christian volleyball team gets a look at their first conference opponent tonight, as the Lady Eagles host Newton. The team enters the contest with a little momentum behind them, following a resilient performance at this past weekend’s Iowa City West Invitational. There, Pella Christian was swept in their first two matches, battled back to challenge Class 5A No. 4-ranked Dowling Catholic to a three set loss, then closed out the afternoon as consolation champions with straight-set wins over Davenport Central and Davenport North.

Lady Eagles’ head coach Cindy Nikkel said those performances prove what she’s been trying to teach her players – that each point and each game is an opportunity to put mistakes behind them and regain the advantage.

“It depends on what people think they really can do. If they the know they’ve been successful before, they know it’s in them – maybe the passing didn’t go well last game – but they get that figured out and here we come right back at it,” said Nikkel. “I think it makes a big change with the whole idea of momentum, and all of the sudden people start believing again. It takes that special athlete that doesn’t let that bother them and just go out and swing big. Don’t go tentative, go hard.”

The Pella Christian volleyball team carries a 3-8 overall record into tonight’s Little Hawkeye Conference debut; while Newton is 7-5. The Cardinals have faced conference foes Knoxville and Oskaloosa in tournament play, but have only one league head-to-head match – a 1-3 loss to Norwalk – on their resume. Opening serve of the varsity match is set for 7:15 p.m. tonight at Pella Christian High School.