The 12th-ranked Hope College volleyball team split its matches on the second day of the Hope College Tournament, starting Saturday with a decisive 3-0 victory over Coe College before falling 3-1 to eighth-ranked Wisconsin–Eau Claire at DeVos Fieldhouse.
The Flying Dutch are now 16-5 overall heading into the Purple Community Game on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. against Kalamazoo College at DeVos Fieldhouse.
Proceeds will help fund internships for Hope students at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, which conducts cutting-edge biomedical research and offers science education. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the Hope College Ticket Office online, or weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. by phone at (616) 395-7890 or in person at 100 East 8th St.
The opening set against Coe set the tone for a 27-25, 25-13, 25-19 victory, Hope's 12th in a row.
After trading points early, Hope surged ahead behind a serving run from junior Kathryn Oates (Liberty Township, Ohio / Cincinnati Christian HS), whose ace and back-to-back Coe attack errors pushed the Flying Dutch ahead 6-2. Coe rallied to tie things up at 9-9, and the two teams traded points deep into the set.
Down 23-17, Hope mounted a resilient push, capped by kills from junior Kamryn Burbridge (Grand Haven, Michigan / Grand Haven) and senior Brooke Fox (Saunemin, Illinois / Pontiac Township) and a clutch ace from freshman Kiera Morrison (Bartlett, Illinois / Wheaton Academy) to tie it at 24-all.
Burbridge delivered the final blow with a kill to win it 27-25, giving Hope the early lead.
The Flying Dutch carried that momentum straight through the third set. A service ace from senior Tess Herendeen (Fort Wayne, Indiana / Homestead) opened a 3-0 lead before kills from sophomore Olivia Wyma (Hartland, Wisconsin / Arrowhead) and Fox stretched the margin.
Hope's offense clicked through setter senior Lauren Lee (Plymouth, Michigan / Skyline), who connected with senior Ella Contant (Elmhurst, Illinois / York Community) and Wyma for kills that kept Coe on the defensive. When the Kohawks crept within 22-19 late, Burbridge and Contant slammed home back-to-back kills to seal the match at 25-19.
Fox led Hope with 10 kills and three service aces while hitting .308 against Coe (12-7). Burbridge followed with eight kills and two blocks, while Contant added seven kills and a .313 hitting percentage. Wyma tallied six kills and a team-high four blocks.
Lee directed the offense with 28 assists and added 10 digs for a double-double, while Oates anchored the back row with 14 digs. As a team, Hope hit .248 with 11 aces and six total blocks.
Against Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the Flying Dutch started with an electric first-set performance during a 9-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-12 loss. Behind the steady setting of Lee and the power of Burbridge and Morrison, Hope raced out to a 13–3 advantage.
Morrison's service ace and two early kills helped fuel the surge, while Wyma teamed with Lee for back-to-back blocks to ignite the DeVos crowd. The Flying Dutch hit an impressive .435 as a team and closed the set 25–9 with a kill from Contant to seize early control.
Eau Claire (19-2) responded. After falling behind early, the Blugolds adjusted defensively and began to find a rhythm through outside hitter Abby Stanwood, who tallied a match-high 21 kills.
The momentum swung as Eau Claire's serve receive steadied and their block came alive, allowing them to edge out tight wins in the second and third sets before pulling away in the fourth. The comeback win completed a perfect weekend for the eighth-ranked Blugolds, who went 3–0 at the Hope College Tournament, each time rallying back after dropping the opening set.
Lee paced Hope with 34 assists, seven kills, and a .538 hitting percentage, while Burbridge recorded nine kills and two aces. Wyma added six kills and four total blocks, and Oates anchored the back row with 18 digs. As a team, Hope totaled 45 kills and hit .248, while Eau Claire finished with 47 kills at a .250 clip.
