Pella High used several quick starts to secure a 3-1 win over crosstown rival Pella Christian in volleyball Tuesday night. The Lady Dutch jumped out to a 14-3 advantage in the first game, but Pella Christian battled back to a 20-20 tie before Pella pulled out the 25-21 win. The Lady Eagles had gained some momentum, though, and countered with a 25-14 win in the second game. With the match essentially at a best-of-three format, Pella High again got off to a quick start in the third game, which they won 25-22; and closed out the match with a swift 25-12 win in the final game.

“I think tonight we really executed our game plan,” said Pella High head coach Catie Brand. “We wavered from it a little bit in game two, and the response in game three and four was very strong from our players and I think that’s how we got the win.”

Shannon Ewing led the Lady Dutch in kills with 13, while setter Regan Nelson finished with 29 assists. McKenna Bogaard topped a strong night of serving for the green-and-white by going 22-of-23 from behind the service line with two aces; and Taelor Rempe led the defense with 17 digs. Despite their game one rally and victory in game two, Lady Eagles’ head coach Cindy Nikkel said the start of the night really set the tempo for the entire evening.

“I think we’ve got to get rid of our nerves a little bit,” said Nikkel. “We were playing a little bit gun-shy at the beginning – and serve receive was a struggle for us.”

For Pella Christian, Taylor Hartson had a team-best seven kills; and Logan De Graaf had two blocks to compliment her five kills. Setter Lauren Jungling led the Lady Eagles with 22 assists and was also an impressive 18-of-18 serving with five aces.

The victory puts the Pella High volleyball team at 8-12 overall and 1-2 in the Little Hawkeye Conference, entering a tournament this Saturday at Newton. The Pella Christian volleyball team is now 1-3 in conference play and 10-13 on the season. They’re off until next Tuesday, when they take on Norwalk.