Box Score by Eva Dean Folkert
Though tested in the first game, the Hope College volleyball team secured a straight-set win over Kalamazoo College on Friday, 30-28, 25-15, 25-22.
It marks the 33rd consecutive win for the Flying Dutch over the Hornets, dating back to October, 2005. Of those 33 wins, all have been straight-set victories except one that went to four sets.
Hope now stands at 3-0 overall and in MIAA action. Kalamazoo falls to 0-2.
The first set was a highly contested affair between the Flying Dutch and Hornets as the lead changed 21 times with 18 ties. Momentum was elusive for each team.
With the score tied a final time at 28-28, setter Adair Cutler (East Lansing, Mich./ Lansing Christian), pictured right, delivered two consecutive assists that set up outside hitter Ana Grunewald (Grand Rapids, Mich./ East Grand Rapids) for her sixth kill of the set and middle hitter Charlotte Brecht (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich./ Grosse Pointe South) for her fourth.
In the second set, Hope never trailed Kalamazoo, but at the start of the third set, it initially looked as though a repeat of the first set was in store. The Hornets jumped out to a 4-1 lead.
After the Flying Dutch fought back to tie the score at 5-5, the two teams again traded one-point leads until a McKenna Otto kill created a 12-12 draw. Hope then went on a five-point run that Kalamazoo would never recover from.
On the match, Grunewald led with 12 kills while Otto (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) followed with 11, and Brecht and junior outside hitter Molly Ligon (Beverly Hills, Mich./ Birmingham Seaholm) tied with seven apiece.
Cutler topped the Flying Dutch with 20 assists; junior Tracy Westra (Clarendon Hills, Ill./ Timothy Christian) contributed 14.
Freshman libero Maggie Wehrmeyer (Holland, Mich./West Ottawa) tallied 22 digs while Cutler and Grunewald each had 14.
Hope travels to Adrian College next Wednesday, April 7 for a 6:30 p.m. match.
