The third-ranked Hope College volleyball team closed out its weekend road trip with an impressive two-match performance on Saturday at Branch Rickey Arena in Delaware, Ohio.
The Flying Dutch swept host Ohio Wesleyan in the morning, then outlasted Wittenberg University in a five-set thriller to bounce back from a five-set loss at Denison University (Ohio) on Friday to improve their record to 4-1 overall.
In the opener, Hope's attack clicked early and never slowed in a 25-19, 25-21, 25-17 victory over Ohio Wesleyan.
The Flying Dutch hit .240 as a team, paced by sophomore Olivia Wyma (Hartland, Wisconsin / Arrowhead HS), who recorded 11 kills on a .563 hitting percentage.
Senior Kate Luurtsema (Alto, Michigan / South Christian) added 10 kills, while senior Ella Contant (Elmhurst, Illinois / York Community) chipped in eight kills at a .368 clip.
Senior Lauren Lee (Plymouth, Michigan / Skyline) fueled the offense with 36 assists and 13 digs, while junior Kathryn Oates (Liberty Township, Ohio / Cincinnati Christian) and senior Brooke Fox (Saunemin, Illinois / Pontiac Township) steadied the defense with nine digs apiece.
Hope's serving pressure contributed five aces to close out the sweep.
The afternoon matchup against Wittenberg turned into a test of resilience for the Flying Dutch.
Hope came out strong, taking the first two sets 25-21 and 28-26, before the Tigers clawed back with a narrow 30-28 win in set three and a dominant 25-11 decision in set four.
In the decisive fifth set, the Flying Dutch reset and delivered their sharpest play of the day.
Hope hit .381 without committing an error, racing out to an early lead and never looking back in a 15-7 clincher.
Junior Kamryn Burbridge (Grand Haven, Michigan / Grand Haven) led the charge with 16 kills and three blocks, while Wyma continued her hot hitting with 14 kills at a .462 clip.
Fox chipped in eight kills and three service aces, and Lee spread the offense with 41 assists to go along with 14 digs.
Oates anchored the back row with 23 digs, while freshman Jillian Collins (Northville, Michigan / Mercy) provided a spark from the service line with two timely aces.
Hope stays on the road on Friday, Sept. 12, taking on the University of LaVerne (California) at 4:30 p.m. CT in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
