After 11 days away from competition, the Pella Christian volleyball team returns to the court Monday night in Des Moines for the Grand View Christian Triangular.

The Eagles last competed in a triangular at Grinnell on September 25th, falling in both matches to the hosts and to a ranked Grundy Center squad. Pella Christian enters the triangular looking to get back above .500 on the season, after dropping to 10-11 overall with those two matches at Grinnell. The Eagles open the Triangular at Grand View Christian against the hosts, who hold a 9-13 overall record on the season. The Thunder have also had an extended break from action, last competing on September 30th. Grand View Christian enters the tournament Monday looking to end a six game losing streak, falling to North Polk, Pella, Woodward-Granger, Nevada, South Hamilton, and Greene County in that stretch. 

Following their match against the hosts, Pella Christian will then take on Class 1A #11 Ankeny Christian Academy. The Eagles from ACA, who are coming off of winning the 1A State Title last fall, boast an 11-11 overall record this season. Ankeny Christian is 3-2 in their last five contests, earning wins over East Buchanan, Cedar Ridge Christian, and BCLUW, while suffering losses to BCLUW and Dunkerton. Pella Christian head coach Andrea Kacmarynski says that getting a full week to practice was beneficial to allow the team to reset and prepare for the final stretch of the regular season. 

“This week has been a blessing. We needed this week to really just kind of hone in on our skills, but also the mental side of the game as well, which is just staying sharp in your disciplines, believing in your teammates, and mentally putting yourself in positions that you know are going to be tough and still fighting your way out of it.”

First serve for the Eagles volleyball team at the McWilliams Activities Center at Grand View Christian Elementary School on Monday is set for 5 pm.