Start with a fearless setter driven to find an open hitter on the volleyball court. Add a versatile group of hitters who can interchange positions throughout a match, and you have what the Hope College volleyball team see as a winning formula for the 2017 season.
Coach Becky Schmidt’s nationally ranked Flying Dutch are building a diverse scheme
aimed to keep opponents off balance this season.
Senior Sophie Hackett of Indianapolis, Indiana (Brebeuf Jesuit Prep HS) will be in
the middle of all the action. The returning All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic
Association setter returns after directing the Flying Dutch to a 25-6 overall record
in her first season as a starter.
Hackett averaged 10.4 assists per set last season en route to claiming American Volleyball
Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region First Team honors as a junior.
“What makes Sophie a special setter is her willingness to take risks and be willing
to set anyone in any situation,” said Schmidt, who is in her 14th season as head coach
at Hope, her alma mater.
“Hope volleyball has been known for being in system when a lot of other teams are
out of system. That means we’re able to run some of our fast-tempo sets when other
teams might be struggling. When we think about the versatile hitters we have, we see
a lot of opportunities to be able to use that to our advantage, even expand what we
have done in the past.
Hackett has plenty of hitters to set at Hope, ranked 15th in the AVCA NCAA Division
III Preseason Poll. The Flying Dutch feature a 16-player roster.
Outside hitter Katie Rietberg is a returning AVCA all-region performer. The junior
from Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa) averaged a team-high 3.10 kills per set last
season and helped the Flying Dutch advance to the national tournament for the ninth
consecutive season.
Three other returning hitters averaged at least a kill per set in 2016: senior outside
hitter Haley Muller of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Christian), junior middle
hitter/outside hitter Vanessa Reynhout of Freeport, Michigan (Lakewood), and senior
middle hitter Paige Baker of Encinitas, California (La Costa Canyon).
“We’re going to have some middles that might be playing at the antennas. We’ve got
some talented outside hitters who are going to be swinging in the middle,” Schmidt
said. “There are going to be a lot of options that we have. We’re looking at different
combinations. Taking Sophie’s experience over this last year and continuing to have
her grow, that’s going to be exciting for us.”
Defensively, Hope will rely on senior Mallory Luke of Saline, Michigan (Saline) and
sophomore Jenna VanderLaan of Grand Rapids, Michigan (South Christian) to dig up opponent’s
shots and get good passes to Hackett to start the offense.
“The balance between being aggressive and being smart is important,” Schmidt said.
“Hopefully, we’re going to continue to find ways to stress the defense without too
much risk-taking.”
The Flying Dutch open the season on Friday, September 1-2 at the Washington-St. Louis
Invitational.
Their home opener is Friday, September 8 against Olivet.