It’s been neat watching Nolton continue developing her game since seeing her at the Benton Tournament when she was a sophomore. I think I’ve scouted her in person for the last two club and prep seasons. Most recently, I saw her playing a key role in helping her club team reach the USAV National Tournament this summer and then again early in the prep campaign at the Grinnell Invite. Nolton is a skilled volleyballer with a lot of power in her swing after big-time explosion off of the court. She gets up on her vertical and snaps down on the ball. The power is there to crash through blocks and the awareness to hit off of them also is present. Nolton rises up with an effective block and defends well in the back row. She’s improved markedly in serve-receive.

Kendra Nolton Kendra Nolton 5'8" | OH/DS/L Grinnell | 2027 State IA is one of those athletes that every program strives to have. The six-rotation OH from Iowa Rockets 17R has really made a name for herself, especially this season. She has continued to showcase her high IQ and insane athleticism, consistently finding the open court on every attack. She is also very quick to read her opponents, making her a hard player to get a kill off of. She is definitely going to be a key part of her team’s success at the National level.

I first noticed Nolton when she was a Grinnell sophomore playing at the 2024 Benton Tournament. She stood out as one of the most talented performers in a gym filled with them. Much of that excitement came from her youth and potential. Nolton is realizing it, as evidenced by her play at the 2026 Nike President’s Day Classic. She’s found a consistency with her gifts, putting the ball away regularly when opportunities present themselves. It’s her combining natural abilities, like explosion and power, with improved skills and court sense. She can plow through blocks but also sees where they can be exploited by taking something off of her fastball and playing angles. She’s also getting better defending at the net and in handling serve-receive.

Nolton has impacted Grinnell matches since she was a freshman in 2023. She’s steadily improved all areas of her game and has the ability to take over the competition when she gets cooking. That’s also been the case when watching her on the club circuit, where she faces off with other good players in her age group. Nolton led the Tigers with 264 kills a year ago and was pacing them again with 118 through the teams first 17 contests of 2025. She also ranked second with 25.0 blocks and was third in digs with 53. Those statistics are representative of Nolton’s commitment to becoming a strong all-around player. She stands out with her explosiveness at the pin, but Nolton helps her team in multiple ways.