by Alan Babbitt

Ana Grunewald loves spiking the volleyball and earning points.

Fortunately for Hope College, she relishes digging up opposing attacks, too, even though she's an outside hitter herself.

The sophomore from Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Grand Rapids HS) racked up a season-high 23 digs along with 11 kills to help the 20th-ranked Flying Dutch post a 3-0 win at Saint Mary's College on Tuesday in Notre Dame, Indiana.

With the 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 victory, Hope upped its record to 17-5 overall, including a second-place 4-1 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association matches.

The Flying Dutch's next match is Friday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Calvin University. It will not count toward the MIAA standings.

Hope returns to DeVos Fieldhouse on Saturday, October 26 with 2 and 4 p.m. match against Alma College and the University of Chicago.

Against Saint Mary's, Grunewald, pictured, closed the first set by sandwiching kills around a service error that earned a point for the Belles.

A Grunewald kill also earned the match-clinching point in the third set.

For the match, Grunewald helped Hope finished plus-17 in digs over Saint Mary's (9-13, 1-4 MIAA).

The Flying Dutch received a number of contributions, including a match-high 16 kills from sophomore middle hitter McKenna Otto of Wheaton, Illinois (Wheaton North).

Setters Tracy Westra of Clarendon Hills, Illinois (Timothy Christian) and Adair Cutler of East Lansing, Michigan (Lansing Christian) registered 21 and 16 assists, respectively.

Westra also joined two other teammates with six kills apiece: sophomore outside hitter Molly Ligon of Beverly Hills, Michigan (Birmingham Seaholm) and freshman outside hitter Jenna Core of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake).