-- Story provided by Hope College Athletics --
From the first practice to the final point, the 2022 Hope College volleyball team did not waver.
The Flying Dutch, who lost to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals to second-ranked Juniata College (Pa.) on Wednesday in Pittsburgh, embraced all the ups and downs a challenging season threw at them.
Starting over after having to replace two All-Americans and nearly an entirely new starting lineup, Hope forged its own identity and grew on and off the court, head coach Becky Schmidt proudly said.
"I'm going to remember a never-give-up fight and a commitment to doing things the right way," Schmidt said after a 25-16, 25-22, 13-25, 25-21 loss to Juniata at Duquesne University's UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
"There were times this season that it would have been easy to not keep the same kind of determination, holding to standards, not just on the court in the way that we play, but in our locker room and the relationships that were building with each other," Schmidt said. "At the beginning of the season, we talked about the season being about three things: building connections with our teammates, having a lot of fun and growth. I think the commitment these guys, especially these seniors (Charlotte Brecht, Jenna Core and Emma Post), made holding true to that process resulted in incredible growth in so many of our players, especially in the last few weeks of the season.
"I couldn't be prouder. Sometimes you go into matches, like the last match of the season, and you have some regrets about things. I've got no regrets. I'm really proud of these guys. I love the women they are, the way they represented Hope and the way they led a young team to realize more with themselves than I think anybody knew that they had in them."
The 20th-ranked Flying Dutch finished with a 24-8 record and as the fourth NCAA regional champion in team history. Juniata (32-1) advanced to the national semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 17, to face fourth-ranked University of Northwestern (Minn.).
Juniata took control of the match early, then reasserted control after Hope forced a fourth set with a commanding performance during the third set. Juniata refused to let the Flying Dutch repeat the success that led to three victories over Top-10 ranked teams during the Grand Rapids, Michigan, Regional title run.
"A lot of credit to Juniata. They played an incredibly tough match," Schmidt said. "They were really good, especially when it counted. Their offense really made our defense scramble a lot. I thought we were able to find a little more of a defensive rhythm that translated into a little more offense in the third set, put a little more pressure from the service line. They responded and did a tremendous job. I wish them the best of luck going forward."
Lilly Podolan's 14 kills led three Juniata attackers who finished in double digits. Juniata hit .308 as a team.
Sophomore outside hitter and American Volleyball Coaches Association all-region honoree Annie Lockett (Mason, Ohio / William Mason HS) topped Hope with 14 kills and two blocks. The Flying Dutch hit .240 as a team.
Sophomore middle blocker Alison DeWeerd (Kentwood, Michigan / South Christian) totaled nine kills.
Brecht (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan / Grosse Pointe South) and Core (Spring Lake, Michigan / Spring Lake) recorded eight kills apiece. Post (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) had seven.
Freshman setter and AVCA All-American Lauren Lee (Ann Arbor, Michigan / Skyline) collected 40 assists and shared team-high honors with 12 digs.
Junior defensive specialist Olivia Fiebing (Traverse City, Michigan / Central) also made 12 digs. Sophomore libero Grace Marshall (DeWitt, Michigan / DeWittt) had 10 digs.
While disappointed with the loss, Post said she and her teammates relished the opportunity they had in postseason play.
"We had a run-in with the end of the MIAA Tournament and weren't sure if we were going to get a bid," Post said. "We were just so grateful we got a bid in the first place. This is an amazing opportunity to play the sport we love with the people that we love. I think we took that and ran with it."
