The third-ranked Hope College volleyball team started the weekend off strong against Denison University on Friday night at the MIAA/NCAC crossover. 

The Flying Dutch defeated Denison 27-25, 25-14, and 25-17. 

Hope is now 4-0 on the season. 

The Flying Dutch earned the game-tying point on a kill by sophomore Brooke Fox (Saunemin, Illinois / Pontiac Township HS) with a set up from sophomore Lauren Lee (Plymouth, Michigan / Skyline). Hope went on for two straight points to take the set win, 27-25 thanks to a service ace by Fox and the final kill by Alison DeWeerd (Kentwood, Michigan / South Christian). 

Hope put the second set into overdrive, jumping to an early 5-2 lead. The team followed  that up with a seven-point run to go up 15-5 led by junior Addie VanderWeide (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Grand Rapids Christian) with two service aces and one kill. 

The Flying Dutch kept Denison at bay for the remainder of the set to go up 2-0 in the match. 

In the third set, neither team led by more than two points until Hope broke open play with a six-point run starting with a kill by Lee and finished off with a kill by senior Natalie Dunn (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa). 

The Flying Dutch gained their final three points of the set by Denison attack errors. 

Fox led Hope with 12 kills in the first of three matches this weekend.

DeWeerd and VanderWeide both collected 10 kills apiece in the win. DeWeerd had a team-best .438 attack percentage. 

Senior Olivia Fiebing (Traverse City, Michigan / Central) had a team-best 21 digs, while Lee collected a match-high 29 assists. 

Hope continues in the MIAA/NCAC Crossover Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 9, as the Flying Dutch take on host school Wittenberg University at 10 a.m. and Ohio Wesleyan University at 12:30 p.m.