Saint Mary’s volleyball battled No. 13 Hope College in their annual Dig Pink match Friday night, and despite a strong effort, the Belles fell in straight sets, 25-20, 25-16 and 26-24, inside the Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex.
The Belles recorded their fourth consecutive loss, dropping to 12-4 overall and 0-2 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play, while Hope improved to 13-4 and 2-0 in the conference.
A crowd of 156 packed the stands to support Saint Mary’s as the team honored breast cancer awareness. The Belles came out with energy and matched the Flying Dutchmen point-for-point early on, but Hope’s 19 kills in the opening set helped them pull away late for a 25-20 win.
In the second set, the Flying Dutchmen hit .324 to control the pace, outkilling Saint Mary’s 14-10 en route to a 25-16 victory. The Belles defense stayed active, tallying 21 digs to Hope’s 18, but couldn’t slow the visitor’s offensive rhythm.
The third set was the tightest of the night. Saint Mary’s opened with a 5-1 lead behind kills from sophomore outside and middle hitter Kalli Lewkowski, senior outside and middle hitter Delaney Martin and junior setter Abby Reese. The Belles later held a 17-13 advantage before Hope stormed back with a late run, edging out the 26-24 win to complete the sweep.
Lewkowski led Saint Mary’s with 11 kills and two blocks while junior middle hitter Caroline Carens added nine kills. Martin and freshman outside hitter and defensive specialist Shannon Rudge each contributed six kills. Sophomore setter Giuliana Graczyk recorded 15 assists and Reese followed with 13. Defensively, Martin and senior defensive specialist and left back Karli Fegan each notched 10 digs.
Hope’s Olivia Wyma led all players with 12 kills and two blocks, while Lauren Lee dished out 44 assists and Brooke Fox added 11 digs and two blocks. The Flying Dutchmen hit .357 as a team compared to Saint Mary’s .186.
Saint Mary’s now heads out for a three-match road stretch, beginning Wednesday at Trine University at 7 p.m. The Belles then travel to Calvin on Oct. 14 and Elmhurst on Oct. 17 before returning home to face Adrian College on Oct. 22.