(Wednesday, March 15; Sioux Center, Iowa) Joel Van Groningen, a senior at Ripon Christian High School (California), has announced his intention to attend Dordt and join the Defender volleyball program.  

"Joel is a powerful athlete with a complete six rotation game as an outside hitter. He has been competing at a high level for several years through high school and club. We appreciate the work that his high school coach Kevin Tameling and club coach Carl Wheeler have invested into Joel's development. Joel will be a wonderful contributor to our campus community as he seeks to live The Defender Way," said Dordt coach Chad Hanson.  

Van Groningen is a 6-5 outside hitter and has also competed for Rage Volleyball Club. He had 446 kills as a junior with 107 service aces and a .459 kill efficiency. Van Groningen was the Southern League MVP and all-area MVP as a junior and was a first-team all-Sac Joaquin Section pick. He is also on the watch list for AVCA All-America recognition.  

"Dordt offers a great education through a Christian worldview. The professors are very personable and made it a priority to really know you. I know that I will love it at Dordt and make meaningful relationships along the way," said Van Groningen.  

Joel is the son of Chris and Laurie Van Groningen from Manteca, California. He plans to study engineering at Dordt.  

Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Defender athletic program is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA).?    

U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,500 students.