CKSR (Volleyball Sweeps Hope - Builds Two-Match Lead in MIAA Standings / Men's Soccer Claims 5-1 Win at Hope - Remains Unbeaten on Season)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR OCTOBER 15, 2015

Volleyball Sweeps Hope - Builds Two-Match Lead in MIAA Standings;
Men's Soccer Claims 5-1 Win at Hope - Remains Unbeaten on Season

VOLLEYBALL

HOLLAND, Mich. - The No. 5 Calvin volleyball team picked up a big victory on the road in front of a hostile crowd on Wednesday evening at No. 13 Hope. The Knights swept the Flying Dutch, 25-23, 25-17 and 25-19. Calvin improves to 17-3 on the year and 11-0 in the MIAA. Hope falls to 14-5 and 9-2 in the MIAA.
"I am very happy with how we came out and played tonight," said head coach Amber Warners. "I thought we were very aggressive with our serving, that was our goal. It's not always easy to do that when you are in someone's gym with a crowd that Hope draws. So I liked how mentally tough we were.
The first set saw the Knights and Flying Dutch exchange points until the first set was tied at eight. The Knights would go on a 4-0 run behind the serve of sophomore Emily Blankespoor (Grand Rapids, Mich./South Christian). Hope would fight back to tie the set at 13. Hope would take the lead with a 4-0 run to lead, 17-14. Calvin would rally back to tie the set at 17 behind the serve of senior Maggie Kamp (Orland Park, Ill./Chicago Christian). The teams would exchange points until junior Laura Danhoff (Willard, Ohio/Willard) would take matters into her own hands. With the set tied at 23, Danhoff finished the set with two aces, to take the set and the air out of the home crowd.
Calvin started the second set on fire, taking an early 5-2 lead. With the Knights leading 10-7, Calvin would go on a 5-0 run behind the serve of senior Jamie Kooiman (Eugene, Ore./South Eugene) from where the Knights would not look back. Freshman Anna Kamp (Orland Park, Ill./Chicago Christian) tallied two kills during the run. Emily Blankespoor finished the set with an ace to take the set, 25-17.
After trailing 0-2 in the third set, Calvin would ring off the next six points behind the serve of Laura Danhoff. Maggie Kamp recorded four kills in the 6-0 run. Hope would scratch back to 6-5, but Calvin would respond with an 8-2 run to make it 14-7. Hope pushed back to within three to make it 18-15. Sophomore Jenna Lodewyk (Villa Park, Ill./Timothy Christian) stopped the Dutch rally with two aces to give Calvin a 21-15 lead. The Knights would go on to win the set, 25-19.
Calvin was led by Maggie Kamp on Wednesday with 15 kills, with Anna Kamp finishing with 6 kills and 4 kills for Laura Danhoff. Jenna Lodewyk recorded 28 assists and four aces on the night. Anna Kamp led the Knights 3.5 blocks that ties her career-best at Calvin. Jamie Kooiman had 11 digs on Wednesday with freshman Keilahna Castilllo finishing with 10 digs.
Calvin is now 19-9 all-time in DeVos Fieldhouse and is now 7-7 vs. Hope at DeVos. The Knights are now 4-3 against ranked competition.
Calvin returns to action on Friday at the Calvin Midwest Invitational. The Knights will face Bluffton at 2 p.m. and finish the day at 7 p.m. against No. 7 Wittenberg.

MIAA VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 10-15-15 GAMES

Calvin 11-0
Hope 9-2
Trine 6-5
Adrian 5-5
Saint Mary's 5-6
Alma 5-6
Albion 4-6
Olivet 3-7
Kalamazoo 0-11

MEN'S SOCCER
Calvin 5, Hope 1

HOLLAND - The No. 3 ranked Calvin men's soccer team completed a regular season sweep over rival Hope Wednesday evening, defeating the Flying Dutchmen 5-1 at Van Andel Stadium.

Calvin's five goals were the most given up by a Hope men's soccer team at Van Andel Stadium. It also matches the highest goal total by Calvin in a men's soccer match against Hope in a rivalry that dates back to the 1965 season.

Calvin's offensive attack was efficient as the Knights scored on all five shots that it placed on frame.

The Knights (13-0-1 overall, 9-0-0 MIAA) got on the board just 7:53 into the match as sophomore Mitch Stark (South Lyon/South Lyon HS) chipped a shot that deflected off a defender and into the net.

Hope then forced Calvin goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos (Markham, Ont./St. Augustine Catholic HS) into making a pair of saves but the Knights were able to counter the pressure with a second goal, this coming in the 35th minute. The play began with a rush through the middle by freshman defender Trent Vegter (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS). Vegter delivered a pass on the ground to the right side of the box that sophomore forward Micah Beard (Otsego/Otsego HS) was able to redirect into the net from close range. The goal was the ninth of the year for Beard who has now scored in five straight games for the Knights -- all off the bench.

Hope nearly sliced the deficit in half in the opening moments of the second half as William Bennink ripped a shot that deflected off the foot of a Calvin defender. The shot appeared headed for the back of the net before Giantsopoulos was able to parry the ball just over the crossbar.

Calvin then capitalized in the 66th minute as senior Taylor Pruis (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) got loose through the right side on a through-ball pass from Stark and deposited a shot in the far left-hand corner of the net for his fourth goal of the year.

Less than two minutes later, junior Isky VanDoorne (Calgary, AB/Western Canada HS) took a bouncing pass from Stark and ripped a half-volley from 25 yards out to give Calvin a 4-0 lead.

Hope responded just 33 seconds later however on a rush by Toby Blom through the center of the Calvin defense. Blom's goal was just the second given up by Calvin in league play this season.

VanDoorne then closed out the scoring in the 74th minute, ripping in his second goal of the game with a sliding left-footed shot on a feed from Beard. The goal was the fourth of the year for VanDoorne.

Calvin finished the game with an 11-8 shots at goal advantage. Giantsopoulos had four saves in net for the Knights.

"It's a good win," said Calvin men's soccer coach Ryan Souders. "That's a good (Hope) program. To be able to come on the road and get three points in a league race is very crucial for us."

Calvin returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Alma at 2:30 p.m. The Scots trail the Knights by six points. Calvin won the first match with Alma by a 1-0 score earlier this fall.

MIAA MEN'S SOCCER STANDINGS THROUGH 10-15-15 GAMES

Calvin 9-0-0
Kalamazoo 7-2-0
Alma 6-2-1
Adrian 3-5-1
Trine 3-6-0
Albion 3-6-0
Hope 2-6-1
Olivet 1-7-1
Received on Thu Oct 15 01:17:50 2015