How Calvin volleyball's Tori Roskamp dominated in showdown with Hope

HOLLAND - Tori Roskamp waited four years to be able to start in her hometown against Hope.

The Calvin senior didn't take too much time to bask in the packed DeVos Fieldhouse. She and the Knights got right to work and dismantled the Flying Dutch in one of the most lopsided matches in recent years between the two national powerhouses, winning 25-15, 25-12, 25-19.

Roskamp, in her first start - in Hope's DeVos Fieldhouse, dominated with 13 kills and hit an absolutely stunning .722 for the match.

"It is always fun coming back here. It is such a fun atmosphere," Roskamp said. "It has been so fun. Getting hyped up really gives me the energy. We had consistent energy tonight."

No. 3 Calvin improved to 20-4 and No. 17 Hope dropped to 19-6.

"The journey has been great. Learning my role each year has been challenging but rewarding," Roskamp said. "It has helped me be a better teammate. It was humbling coming here with so many great players. I am honored to be a part of this team and fit in my role wherever they need me. It has been about growing in my confidence and having fun with everything."

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Roskamp, a Holland Christian graduate, played behind All-Americans during her career, but Hope has found out this year that the senior is a big-time player.

"We served really well and passed really well. When you do those two things, it makes the rest easier," Warners said. "I am so happy with how Tori keeps developing. It is her blocking, her hitting and her demeanor out there. She is one of our talkers and always seems to be positive - and wants the ball. It has been incredible to see her keep developing. She has a really heavy arm - she didn't have that coming in - and she worked hard to get there. I don't remember one day where she was not ready to work her tail off. She is an amazing servant-leader and I couldn't be more thrilled with her year."

The energetic match started with a huge block and an ace for Hope, igniting the hometown crowd. But things quickly turned as Calvin served strong with four aces and deep serves to keep the Flying Dutch off-balance.

Roskamp had three kills and two block assists in the first set. Her final kill put Calvin up 23-13 and the Knights claimed the set 25-15. Hope hit just .029, while Calvin was at .220.

The second set was similar as two big kills tied it 2-2 for Hope, but then the Knights went on a run, sparked by a Roskamp kill and led 8-2, then quickly 14-4. Roskamp slammed a kill into the middle to make it 23-10 and another on set point for a 25-12 domination.

Roskamp had six kills in the second set.

The third set was closer for a little longer. Roskamp slammed a kill that tied it 4-4. Roskamp's next kill made it 11-9 Calvin and the Knights hung on 25-19 for the sweep.

"We made things really easy for them. We either served easy or gave them an easy off-speed shot, or just hit right at them," Hope coach Becky Schmidt said. "They were able to dig it and transition really effectively. (In the third), we really started attacking the ball. We tried to play safe and not make errors in the first two sets. That put them into some difficult spots."

Calvin hit .294 for the match. Heidi Westra had 14 kills and 19 digs for Calvin. Alyssa DeVries had 38 assists. Aubrey Wrubel had 18 digs.

For Hope, Annie Lockett had eight kills. Lauren Lee had 19 assists and nine digs. Emma Post and Olivia Fiebing each had 10 kills. Hope hit .083 for the match.

It was the largest crowd in NCAA Division III volleyball this year at 2,931. The previous high was the Hope-Calvin matchup at Calvin at 1,506.

"This crowd was absolutely incredible," said Schmidt, a Holland High School and Hope graduate. "The Holland community coming out tonight and filling this place was absolutely inspiring and I am so grateful to be a part of this community."

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Calvin volleyball's Tori Roskamp earns starting spot, powers past Hope