Brigid DeVries
WOMEN’S TENNIS
In the pursuit of excellence each time on the court, the Hope College women’s tennis team has found perfection — now six MIAA seasons and counting. The Flying Dutch continued their unprecedented run in league play on Tuesday. A 9-0 victory at Adrian College secured the sixth consecutive undefeated MIAA season — the longest such stretch in league history.
From 1996-2000, Hope was perfect in MIAA play five seasons in a row. Tuesday’s victory at Adrian extended Hope’s winning streak in MIAA regular-season matches to 54 games. The current streak began in 2014 after the Flying Dutch lost their league opener to eventual champion Kalamazoo College, 5-4, and finished 7-1 in MIAA matches.
Since 2014, Hope also has defeated 12 consecutive league opponents in the MIAA Tournament — part of league-record seven consecutive MIAA Tournament titles.
Against Adrian, the Flying Dutch won five of the six singles matches in straight sets, including a 6-3, 6-3 victory from junior Sydney Jackson (Fort Wayne, Indiana / Carroll HS) at the No. 1 flight.
The Flying Dutch swept the three doubles matches. The No. 2 pairing of Saydee Johns (Holland, Michigan / Holland_ and Taylor Truman (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) won, 8-0.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Jenna Mustapha quickly made her mark on the Hope College women’s soccer team as a defender.
The freshman from Ada, Michigan (Forest Hills Northern HS) contributed in a variety of ways to earn All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association honors in her first collegiate season.
Mustapha is joined by four teammates who claimed All-MIAA Second Team honors: defender Sammi Blair, forward Natalie Hammer, forward Sarah Mikesell, and midfielder Audrey White.
MEN’S SOCCER
Hope College’s Ty Dalton and Brandon Fles have been named Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Men’s Soccer Athletes of the Week. The pair helped the Flying Dutchmen defeat three opponents last week and win the MIAA Tournament for the third time in team history.
Dalton is the MIAA Offensive Men’s Soccer Athlete of the Week for the first time in his Flying Dutchmen career. Fles is the MIAA Men’s Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week for the first time.
VOLLEYBALL
Hope College middle hitter McKenna Otto and setter Tracy Westra have been selected as the MIAA Volleyball Athlete and Specialist of the Week, respectively. Both are being honored for their stellar play to help lead the Flying Dutch to an MIAA Tournament championship last week.
Otto is claiming league athlete of the week honors for the third time in her career. Westra is earning her second specialty player of the week award in her career.
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