|
Rank
|
Team
|
Points
|
1st Place
|
| 1. |
Calvin |
64 points |
8 |
| 2. |
Hope |
57 points |
1 |
| 3. |
Adrian |
49 points |
|
| 4. |
Albion |
35 points |
|
| 5. |
Alma |
34 points |
|
| T6. |
Saint Mary's |
30 points |
|
| T6. |
Trine |
30 points |
|
| 8. |
Olivet |
14 points |
|
| 9. |
Kalamazoo |
11 points |
|
The Hope College volleyball team finished second in the 2016 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Preseason Coaches Poll.
Coach Becky Schmidt's Flying Dutch collected 57 points and one first-place vote. They trailed only preseason favorite Calvin, which had 64 points and eight first-place votes. Coaches could not vote for their own teams.
Ranked No. 17 in the American Volleyball Coaches Preseason Poll, Hope is coming off a 2015 season that saw the Flying Dutch post a 24-7 overall record, including runner-up 14-2 mark in MIAA regular-season play. Hope also was runner-up in the MIAA Tournament.
The Flying Dutch received an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament. It was Hope's eighth consecutive postseason appearance and 13th overall.
Hope must overcome the graduation of five seniors, including three-time All-American setter Lauren Hazekamp and libero Allie Mitchell, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year.
The Flying Dutch return All-MIAA Second Team outside hitter Sarah Feldpausch, a senior from White Cloud, Michigan (White Cloud HS).
Feldpausch led Hope with 342 kills last season. Junior outside hitter Haley Muller of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Christian HS) was second last season as a sophomore with 311 kills.
Hope opens the season Friday and Saturday, Sept. 2-3 at the Mount Union Purple Raider Classic in Alliance, Ohio.
