by Alan Babbitt

Fittingly, a service ace closed out the 17th-ranked Hope College volleyball team's 3-0 win at Adrian College on Wednesday.

The Flying Dutch delivered a season-high nine service aces during the 25-22, 25-11, 25-13 victory, including on match point from junior outside hitter Ana Grunewald, pictured, of Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Grand Rapids HS).

Six different servers recorded aces for Hope. Senior setter Adair Cutler (Lansing, Michigan/Lansing Christian) totaled three, while Grunewald had two.

Grunewald's final ace enabled the Flying Dutch to score the final two points of the match. A kill from senior outside hitter Rose Thompson (Coopersville, Michigan/Unity Christian) preceded Grunewald's serve.

The third set featured 11 different tie scores. After a run of three Hope points even it up at 14-14, neither team led by more than one point until the very end.

It was much closer than the second set, where Hope reeled off nine consecutive points for a 14-3 lead.

Two kills apiece from Grunewald and Thompson sparked the decisive second-set surge.

Grunewald finished with a game-high 16 kills on a .342 hitting percentage.

Junior middle hitter McKenna Otto (Wheaton, Illinois/Wheaton North) added nine kills. 

Sophomore middle hitter Charlotte Brecht (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan/Grosse Pointe South) chipped in seven kills. Thompson had five.

Cutler topped Hope with 24 assists.

Earlier in the day, the Flying Dutch moved up four spots in the Amerian Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll.

Hope's next game is Monday, April 12 against Albion College at DeVos Fieldhouse. Start time is 6:30 p.m.