Anna Lynch

The nationally ranked Hope volleyball team continued its unbeaten start to the season on Friday, defeating two Top 10 foes in its first two matches at the Wittenberg Fall Classic in Ohio.

The No. 5 Flying Dutch improved to 10-0 overall by topping sixth-ranked Washington University in St. Louis in four sets, then sweeping eighth-ranked Otterbein (Ohio) in three. Hope handed both WashU and Otterbein their first losses of the season.

The 10-0 start to a season is the second in a row for Hope. The Flying Dutch wrap up up the tournament on Saturday with matches against Heidelberg (Ohio) at noon and Ohio Northern at 4 p.m.

Against WashU, Hope won 25-10, 21-25, 25-22, 25-19 behind a match-high 16 kills from junior outside hitter Anna Lynch of Lake Odessa (Lakewood HS).

Junior outside Jenna Grasmeyer of Hudsonville (Unity Christian HS) added 12, while senior middle hitter Courtney Earles of Kentwood (East Kentwood HS) had nine.

The second-set loss was Hope's first of the season. The Flying Dutch won their first 25 sets of the season. The school record for consecutive sets won is 27 (1997).

Against Otterbein, Hope won 25-17, 25-22, 25-21 as Grasmeyer recorded a match-high 15 kills. Lynch added six, as did senior middle hitter Mari Schoolmaster of Portage (Portage Central HS) and junior middle hitter Jillian Sommerville of Plymouth (Salem HS).

Sophomore setter Lauren Hazekamp of Fruitport (Fruitport HS) collected 79 assists over the two matches.