by Dena Meiste

The sixth-ranked Hope College volleyball team escaped Albion College with a hard-earned, five-set victory on Wednesday evening to remain undefeated in MIAA play. 

The win was the ninth straight for the Flying Dutch, who improved to 13-1 overall.

With the 18-25, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 15-10 set back, Albion College fell to 11-5 on the season with a 2-1 tally in conference matches.  Hope, 3-0 in the MIAA, is just one of three unbeaten teams left in the league, joining Calvin University and Trine University. 

Overall, the Flying Dutch Dutch hit just .187 (69 kills-31 errors-203 attacks) on the night but delivered a strong attack in the deciding fifth set, putting down 10 kills at a .318 clip to control the tempo of the final frame.

Scrappy defensive play on both sides of the net contributed to the lower hitting averages, with Hope out-digging the Britons 85-80. 

Libero Maggie Wehrmeyer (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa), pictured, led the charge for the Flying Dutch with a match-high 26 digs. It was the sophomore's second-consecutive 20-plus dig performance and fifth overall this season.

Outside hitter Ana Grunewald (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) paced the offense with 19 kills followed by middle blocker McKenna Otto (Wheaton, Illinois / Wheaton North), who tacked down 17. Both seniors also reached double-digit dig totals for the double-double.

Charlotte Brecht (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan / Grosse Pointe South) had an efficient night on the attack, hitting .409 with 11 kills, while Tracy Westra (Clarendon Hills, Illinois / Timothy Christian) orchestrated the offense with 54 assists.

The match proved to be a tug of war battle through the first four sets.  Set one was close throughout, but fueled by an energetic home crowd, Albion limited its errors to win 25-18 and claim the early advantage.

It appeared as though the momentum would continue to roll in the Briton's favor, as the home team surged out to an 11-7 lead in the second. Coming out of a timeout, the Flying Dutch Dutch started firing on all cylinders and scored eight unanswered points to tip the scales in their favor. Although Albion took the lead back at 16-15, Hope would not be deterred as the visitors gritted out a 25-23 win.

Sets three and four looked much the same, with the lead exchanging hands several times to send the match to the tie-breaking fifth set.

Hope left nothing to chance in the clinching frame, storming out to an insurmountable 7-2 lead. The Britons were never able to respond and the Flying Dutch sided their way out to the 15-10 victory.

Hope travels to No. 4-ranked Calvin, on Saturday, Oct. 2. First serve between the two top-ten teams is slated for 3 p.m. The game does not count toward the MIAA standings.