HOLLAND, Mich. – The Calvin University women's volleyball team battled the second-ranked Hope College Flying Dutch but came away with a 3-0 defeat by the scores of 25-21, 26-24 and 25-12 in non-conference play on Friday night.
 
Calvin (15-8) got off to strong starts in each of the first two sets but could not hold off the Flying Dutch as Hope (21-2) came back to win each set late to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The Knights held a 19-17 lead late in the first set, but Hope ran off six straight points to take a 23-19 lead on the way to winning the set 25-21. Avery Ekkens (Portage, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) led the Knights with five kills and six digs, while Aerin Baker (Saugatuck, Mich./Saugatuck) recorded four kills.
 
Calvin led the second set throughout and held a 23-19 advantage late, but the Flying Dutch once again rallied to cut the deficit to 24-22, and then finished the set with a 4-0 run while saving two set points to take a 2-0 overall lead. Baker recorded four kills without an error to lead the attack, while Ekkens added seven more digs.
 
The Flying Dutch came out strong to open the third set and built an early lead the Knights were unable to recover from as Hope won 25-12 to secure the match.
 
Baker and Ekkens led the Knights with eight kills apiece. Ekkens also finished with a team-best 14 digs.
 
Emma Ekblaw (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) finished with seven kills and three blocks. Jasmine Namminga (Pella, Iowa/Pella Community) added five kills and three blocks.
 
NEXT UP: Calvin women's volleyball will return to action on Friday, November 1, when it hosts Albion College for an MIAA match-up scheduled to start at 6:30 PM at Van Noord Arena.