ORIGINS OF HOPE WOMEN'S TENNIS

Tennis is Hope's longest-running intercollegiate sport for women. The sport also has the distinction of being the first to be played in a coed format when in 1921 Hope men and women participated in a six-team tournament in Kalamazoo.

Well before the MIAA formed a unified men's and women's league in 1978, Hope was making its mark in women's tennis. The Flying Dutch won the championship of the Women's Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WMIAA) five times between 1948 and 1955. 

PROGRAM MILESTONES

Hope captured a league-record 11 consecutive MIAA Tournament championships from 2012-2023. The 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Flying Dutch were regular-season champs in nine of those seasons, including a league-record seven regular-season titles in a row.

In 2017, the Flying Dutch advanced to their first regional under the current NCAA postseason format for the first time. They were edged by Washington-St. Louis 5-3 in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Interim head coach Nate Price led the Flying Dutch.

The 1980 Flying Dutch went undefeated in dual meets to win Hope's first MIAA women's tennis championship.

PLAYERS AND PERFORMANCES OF NOTE

Audrey Coates was a three-time MIAA most valuable player, who competed four consecutive years at the NCAA Division III championships and ended her collegiate career with an impressive 87-17 record against singles opponents (1986-89). She also received the MIAA Sue Little Sportsmanship award twice. The 87 singles are the most by a Flying Dutch singles player. 

The Sue Little Sportsmanship Award has been awarded by the WMIAA/MIAA since 1955. The first recipient was Betty Scheppers '55 of Hope. Fifty years later, Priya Malviya received the honor. In 2015, Anna Garcia joined her sister Katherine Garcia (2010) as a Sue Little award recipient.

Claire Hallock and Colleen Sandro headline Hope's distinguished group of women's tennis All-Americans as two-time honorees. Hallock claimed the honor as a singles player in 2018 and 2019. Coates earned the recognition in 1986 as a singles player and in 1987 as a doubles player with partner Kim Baxter.

Colleen Sandro qualified for the NCAA Division III national championships four consecutive years in singles and for three years in doubles before graduating in 1989. As a senior, she was chosen the MIAA's most valuable player and received the conference sportsmanship award.

Amanda Bandrowski and Claire Hallock were two dynamic teammates for the Flying Dutch. They rank among the top singles players in team history despite playing only three full seasons. Their senior seasons in 2020 were canceled five matches in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bandrowski was second with an 85-14 singles record; Hallock was fourth with an 80-13 mark. The pair have the top three spots among single-season records at Hope: Amanda Bandrowski (#2), 30-2 in 2019; Amanda Bandrowski (#1), 27-1 in 2017; Claire Hallock (#3), 25-2 in 2017.

Anneliese Fox became the first Hope tennis player, male or female, to win the MIAA first flight championship four consecutive years (2003-06). She was also a three-time MIAA most valuable player.

Carli Capestany finished her decorated career (2012-15) as Hope's all-time leader with 78 doubles wins and was the Flying Dutch's single-season leader in doubles wins with a 27-5 record as a senior. Capestany helped the Flying Dutch reach the second round of the NCAA Division III Championships and claim MIAA regular-season and tournament titles. Capestany also earned Capital One Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Nancy Benda broke her former partner's doubles record by finishing with an 89-24 record between 2014-17. She also ranked fifth in singles wins at Hope with a 71-34 record.

COACHES OF NOTE

Karen Page is Hope's longest-tenured women's tennis coach with 11 seasons at the helm (1998-2009). Page coached the Flying Dutch during a brave, five-year battle against breast cancer. She died in the summer of 2009. Hope Athletics has named a Courage Award in her memory that is presented yearly at the HOPEYs awards ceremony.

In his first season as head coach, Adam Ford guided the 2013 Flying Dutch to an MIAA championship and berth in the NCAA Division III Championships.

Bob Cawood matched Adam Ford during the 2018 season by leading Hope to an MIAA title in his first season. He was a former MIAA MVP in men's tennis for the Flying Dutchmen.