Using all areas of the court, the 18th-ranked Hope College volleyball team served up a four-set victory against 14th-ranked Marietta College (Ohio) on Friday night at DeVos Fieldhouse.
The Flying Dutch won 25-13, 21-25, 25-14, 25-17, stretching their season-best winning streak to six matches.
Hope (10-4) hit .315 as a team, with four players reaching double figures in kills. The Flying Dutch roared back after Marietta (9-3) took the second set to even the match.
"We reasserted control in the third set," head coach
Becky Schmidt said. "It started with passing and discipline on the block. I thought our pin hitters had a lot of purpose to them. Up to this point, it's felt a little like we're just swinging at balls. They were intentionally trying to hit the ball in different locations. That's a huge step forward for us in terms of what we need."
Hope next faces seventh-ranked and unbeaten Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 1:30 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse. Illinois Wesleyan (12-0) will first play Marietta at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
The Flying Dutch hit .425 in the third set and scored 12 of the final 14 points. Hope never trailed in the fourth set.
Senior outside hitter
Brooke Fox (Saunemin, Illinois / Pontiac Township) recorded a match-high 14 kills on a .394 hitting percentage.
Freshman outside hitter
Kiera Morrison (Bartlett, Illinois / Wheaton Academy) contributed a season-high 13 kills.
Junior middle blocker
Kamryn Burbridge (Grand Haven, Michigan / Grand Haven) totaled 11 kills.
Sophomore middle blocker
Olivia Wyma (Hartland, Wisconsin / Arrowhead) added 10 kills and four blocks.
Senior middle hitter
Ella Contant (Elmhurst, Illinois / York Community) chipped in a season-high eight kills.
Senior setter
Lauren Lee (Plymouth, Michigan / Skyline) posted 49 assists.
Freshman defensive specialist
Amelia Gagnon (Belmont, Michigan / Grand Rapids West Catholic) led four Flying Dutch in double figures for digs with a season-high 17.
Jillian Fellers paced Marietta with 11 kills. The Pioneers hit .131 as a team.
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