Despite two consecutive seasons of memorable postseason runs, the Hope College volleyball team is still hungry.

In 2024, the Flying Dutch advanced to the national semifinals before falling in five sets to three-time defending NCAA Division III national champion Juniata College (Pennsylvania). Hope finished with a 29–3 overall record.

The Flying Dutch went undefeated in MIAA play for the third time in four seasons and will feature a few new faces in the starting lineup.

Despite graduating key senior players, the Orange and Blue top the MIAA preseason poll for 2025 and enter the season ranked No. 3 nationally in the AVCA preseason poll.

"When you lose a class, like we did last year, there is a lot of trying to figure out how you're going to handle the load that graduated," said head coach Becky Schmidt. "It's going to be a process, and it will unfold throughout the season, and I don't want to rush it." 
 

Coaching Staff

Head coach: Becky Schmidt '99, 22nd season 
Associate head coach: Carrie Lehocky '07
Assistant coaches: Taylor Babec, Gabbi Wehrmeyer '20 , Amber Morse '07

Schmidt was chosen as the AVCA Region Coach of the Year last season. Lehocky was named the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2024.
 

Roster 

Hope's roster of 19 features seven seniors, three juniors, three sophomores, and six freshmen.

Lauren Lee, a 5'7" senior setter from Plymouth, Michigan (Skyline HS), returns as a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors last season. Lee also received first-team recognition from the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America and All-MIAA. Lee averages 11.13 assists per set through three seasons.

Kamryn Burbridge, a 6-1 junior middle blocker from Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven) earned second-team All-MIAA honors last season and averages 2.19 kills per set through two seasons.

Brooke Fox, a 5-9 senior outside hitter from Saunemin, Illinois (Pontiac Township), returns as one of Hope's top hitters, recording 174 kills in 93 sets last season.

Kathryn Oates, a 5-6 junior defensive specialist from Liberty Township, Ohio (Cincinnati Christian), averaged 2.41 digs per set last season. 
 

Schedule

Hope will face six opponents ranked in the AVCA Preseason Poll during non-league play to kick off the season.

The Flying Dutch will open the season on Friday, Aug. 29, at 6:30 p.m. against Ohio Northern University at DeVos Fieldhouse and will honor the 2024 national semifinalist team with a pre-match banner unveiling.

The annual team poster giveaway is set for Saturday, September 27.

The Purple Community Game, benefiting Van Andel Institute's medical research and science education, hits the court on Tuesday, October 14.

MIAA play begins Tuesday, September 30 with The Rivalry matchup against Calvin.

"We're going to have a lot of competitions this year that are going to push us, and we're going to learn from all of them so we can continue figuring out our identity," Schmidt said. "I'm going to continue scheduling the toughest competition that we can. We're going to learn alot about ourselves, and I fully expect us to get pushed in ways that are really difficult for us, but I trust the learners that we have within our team that we're going to be playing for something big at the end of the season."
 

Tickets

Season tickets, single-game tickets and fall family passes are on sale through the Hope College Ticket Office, 100 East 8th Street.

Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.hope.edu, by phone at (616) 395-7890 or in person at either the ticket office during regular business hours or at the door 1 hour prior to match time.

Fall family passes cost $30 per game and include tickets for as many as two adults and all children living in a household. For a limited time, purchase five fall family passes for $100.