The Calvin College women’s volleyball team won its second NCAA Division III title in four years on November 23.
The dramatic win for the Calvin team was played in front of more than 3,300 fans at Hope College in Holland, Mich. The team came back from behind, having lost the first two sets against the California Lutheran University Regals, and then winning the third and fourth sets.
In the fifth and final set, Calvin first lagged behind but then tied the game, which continued into extra points, until a final point by senior Megan Rietema won the championship.
“I can’t tell you how grateful, humble, blessed, and privileged I am to coach these women,” said head coach Amber Warners. “We look at winning as the icing on the cake. The inner workings are what make the program special . . . there wasn’t one moment when I felt we couldn’t do it.”
“It was a really incredible atmosphere to play in,” said senior Kristin Zietse, who, along with Stacey Kamp, won MIAA player of the week honors. “But . . . we told our team that we have to do it ourselves, [the crowd] can’t make us win. We have to do it for them and we have to do it for us.”
“Coming from last year, losing in five after losing the first two sets, I knew we could do it,” said sophomore Maggie Kamp. “I love those high-intensity moments, and I love being able to put it away. This is what we play volleyball for—the big moments—and I love that.”
The national championship is the 10th in Calvin athletics history, joining the national title won by the 2010 volleyball team as well as titles won in women’s cross-country, men’s cross-country, and men’s basketball.
Calvin College is owned by the Christian Reformed Church.
About the Author
Roxanne VanFarowe is a freelance writer who claims both Canadian and American citizenship and grew up in the Christian Reformed Church. She is a member of Blacknall Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina.