The 17th-ranked Hope College volleyball team closed its weekend in Bloomington, Illinois with a milestone victory, sweeping Monmouth College 25–14, 25–19, 25–12 to secure head coach Becky Schmidt's 600th career win.
The Flying Dutch controlled the match in the Illinois Wesleyan University invite from start to finish, hitting .333 in the third set and producing a steady, balanced attack across all three frames. Hope moved to 1–2 on the season.
Sophomore Kiera Morrison (Bartlett, Illinois / Wheaton Academy HS) led the offense with 10 kills and 3 aces, continuing her strong presence on the right side.
Junior Abby Samol (Mason, Ohio / William Mason) added seven kills. Middle blocker senior Kamryn Burbridge (Grand Haven, Michigan / Grand Haven) delivered a standout two-way performance with six kills and vive blocks.
Hope's serve pressure and back-row consistency set the tone throughout the match. Sophomore Jillian Collins (Northville, Michigan / Mercy) posted four aces and 11 digs.
Senior Kathryn Oates (Liberty Township, Ohio / Cincinnati Christian) anchored the defense with 13 digs, while setter sophomore Brooke Hehl (Rochester Hills, Michigan / Lutheran Northwest) steered the offense with 30 assists and three aces.
Next up is the return to DeVos Fieldhouse for the Hope College Tournament, featuring matches against Wittenberg University, Denison University, and Ohio Wesleyan University on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 11–12, during Orange and Blue Weekend.
