HOLLAND, Mich. - Saint Mary's College Volleyball fell to #2 Hope College on Saturday afternoon, 3-0. The Belles fall to 7-9 (0-2 MIAA) on the year while the Flying Dutch improve to 13-2 (2-0 MIAA).

Hope got out to a hot start in the first set and used a 13-0 run to take the victory in the first set, 25-7. The Flying Dutch also hit an incredible .450 in the set while Saint Mary's hit -.185. The Belles finished with four kills in the set, half of those coming from sophomore Caroline Carens.

While the Belles battled in the second set, it was multiple short runs that helped the Flying Dutch to a 25-15 win to take a quick 2-0 lead. Saint Mary's tripled their kill total from the first set, as Carens had moved up to seven kills while freshman Kalli Lewkowski brought her total to five, but it was a hitting percentage of a whopping .531 that helped Hope to the set victory.

The third set was the best of the day for the Belles as they fought back and forth with the Flying Dutch, but they weren't able to pull out the win as Hope finished off the sweep with a 25-22 win. Saint Mary's recorded double-digit kills again, 11, and forced nine errors on Hope, the first set with multiple errors for them, but it was the strength of Hope that propelled them to victory.

Carens led the team with 10 kills in the match, her eighth match this season with double-digit kills. Sophomore Abby Reese and freshman Giuliana Graczyk both reached double-digit assists with Reese leading the team with 14 and Graczyk recording 10. Junior Delaney Martin was the lone Belle in double-figures in digs as she led the squad with 14.

UP NEXT FOR THE BELLES

Saint Mary's returns home tomorrow for the start of a three-match homestand where they host Beloit College tomorrow at 2pm for their annual Morgan's Message Match. The Belles then host Trine University on October 9 for their Dig Pink match starting at 7pm and then they host Calvin University on October 15 for their Red Glasses game with the match scheduled to start at 7pm.