by Alan Babbitt
The Hope College women's basketball team topped the 2021-22 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Flying Dutch, winners of the past two league titles, received all eight possible first-place votes and totaled 64 points. Coaches could not vote for their own team.
Hope finished seven points ahead of second-place Trine University, which received the other first-place vote.
The remainder of the poll featured Albion College (45 points), Calvin University (44), Alma College (40), Adrian College (27), Saint Mary's College (24), Olivet College (12), and Kalamazoo College (11).
Led by head coach Brian Morehouse, Hope returns three starters from last season: All-Americans and All-MIAA First honorees Kenedy Schoonveld (Zeeland, Michigan / Holland Christian HS) and Olivia Voskuil (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian) and All-MIAA First Team selection Sydney Muller (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Grand Rapids Christian).
The Flying Dutch also ranked in the D3hoops.com preseason poll. Hope has gone undefeated the past two seasons: 29-0 in 2019-20 and 16-0 in 2020-21.
The winning streak is a school-record 45 games in a row, which is also the eighth-longest streak in NCAA Division III women's basketball history.
Photo of Meg Morehouse by Steve Herppich
Hope opens the season on Friday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. against Edgewood College (Wisconsin) at DeVos Fieldhouse at the Hope Tip-Off Tournament. The Flying Dutch's MIAA opener is Wednesday, Dec. 1 against Calvin at 7:30 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse.
