The powerhouse Pella tennis programs will be back in state contention in 2023, although they won’t have a home meet this spring due to surfacing of the new tennis courts.
Pella Boys Tennis — Loaded With Returners, Chasing Elusive Top Trophy in 1A
It’s always a bit unfair to put too many expectations on any team heading into a season, because so much can happen with health, weather, and other real life events. But for a program that has been 2nd place at the state tournament three seasons in a row, and one loaded with experienced varsity players in 2023, the goal is fairly obvious for the Dutch boys with rackets. Pella’s boys tennis team placed 2nd to powerhouse Xavier in 2019, 2021, and 2022 — and opportunity may knock as many of the athletes from those three state championship teams have earned their high school diplomas. They enter the season as a consensus No. 1 team and and will be among the favorites to once again play on the final day.
Nothing is going to come gift-wrapped for the Dutch, and they will have some excellent competition between now and a potential state tournament run — but Pella will do so with a wealth of experience. Missing “Unicorn” state champion Caleb Briggs, a Class of ’22 senior who knocked off the Saints top player and individual state championship when the teams clashed in the final match of the year, the rest of the gang is on the courts for the 2023 team. Pella is led by Caleb’s younger brother Jack — a Class 1A individual all-state selection and who placed 2nd in the state doubles bracket in Class 1A, Joshua Roozeboom, who qualified for state as an individual, and Cashen Thompson and Cameron Rowe, who were the 8th place doubles team in Class 1A last spring. Beau Bush was also just short of a state individual bid himself and on the courts for the Dutch against Xavier in the finals last year.
Pella will be road warriors as their courts will not be completed in time for competition. The Dutch will be the favorites to dominate the Little Hawkeye Conference and the district bracket they ultimately compete in. They start the season today at North Polk, who feature two ranked Moon brothers at the top of their lineup.
Dutch Girls Poised for Run Back to Final Eight, Potential for Top Four Finish
The 2022 season marked a return to form for the Pella girls tennis team as they clawed back to the top of the Little Hawkeye Conference and flipped the script on their archrivals from across town to get to the final eight of Class 1A. Led by two-time individual state qualifier Emily Blom and returning varsity starters Alloree Else, Claire Smock, and Lily Van Dusseldorp, Pella will look to solidify the rest of their lineup with a solid group of returning JV players and push themselves back to first in the league standings and make another push to join Class 1A’s best by May. Look for Mallory Westerkamp, Bryn Higginbotham, Kytilin Plate, and Sydney Namminga to compete for the 5-6 singles spots and to provide doubles depth throughout the season.
One of the goals for the #6 in 1A Dutch girls will be to add to their state qualifying individual list, as they were upset in a few spots at the regional tournament last May. Pella will be locked in a close battle with the #8 Eagles girls for the top of the conference standings and in another likely Tulip City postseason matchup — the two have played each other to get to the quarterfinals two seasons in a row. Waterloo Columbus, Davenport Assumption, and Xavier are among the state championship contenders, but the Dutch want to crack into that group by season’s end.
Pella opens the season Friday at Knoxville.