Hope volleyball gets at-large bit to NCAA tournament, led by All-MIAA duo

Dan D'Addona, The Holland Sentinel
·2 min read
Hope's Annie Lockett sends the ball to the Albion half Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at DeVos Fieldhouse.
Hope's Annie Lockett sends the ball to the Albion half Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at DeVos Fieldhouse.

HOLLAND - The Hope College volleyball team is headed back to the NCAA Tournament.

The Flying Dutch were upset in the MIAA Tournament semifinals against Albion but received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Hope will face Wittenberg (Ohio) in the first round at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Calvin University.

The Flying Dutch finished the season 21-7 ant 7-1 in the MIAA. They have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 14 of the past 16 seasons, including the past five years with a tournament (2020 had no tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Hope setter Lauren Lee was named MIAA Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-MIAA selection along with outside hitter Annie Lockett.

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Lee (Plymouth, Michigan / Skyline HS) led the MIAA in assists per set in league matches at 11.22 in while also averaging 0.67 assists per game.

Lee directed a Hope attack that ranked first in the MIAA in kills per set in league matches at 14.04 and third in hitting percentage at .246.

"As a setter, Lauren took on the challenge of a huge rebuild to our offense and did so admirably. Lauren is very deserving of this award and it also honors the incredible passers and hitters she is surrounded by," Schmidt said. "Annie is a hitter capable of attacking many different angles with speed. She has been adding more tools to her toolbox as the season progresses and is an incredible teammate."

Lockett (Mason, Ohio / William Mason) ranked third in the MIAA in kills per set in league matches at 3.96 and 10th in hitting percentage at .277.

The sophomore also topped the MIAA in service aces per set in league matches at 0.93 after transferring from Eastern Michigan University.

The Flying Dutch also had two second-team selections: senior middle blocker Charlotte Brecht (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan / Grosse Pointe South) and sophomore middle blocker Alison DeWeerd (Kentwood, Michigan / South Christian).

This is the third All-MIAA honor for Brecht, a biology major, and the first for DeWeerd.

"Charlotte has been a joy to coach over these four years, and I am so proud of her tenacity and relentless hard work. She has moved beyond being a strong blocker into a dynamic all around hitter. She brings a steadiness to our court, but her kills and blocks always light a spark for our team," Schmidt said. "I am so proud of the hard work Alison has put in over the last year to prepare herself for this season. She has a never quit mentality and, as a teammate, is wise beyond her years."

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hope College volleyball gets at-large bit to NCAA tournament, led by All-MIAA duo