The 2019 -20 Hope College women's basketball varsity team and coaching staff
Women's Basketball At A Glance
- Roster Size: 17
- Returners: 16
- Returning starters: 4
- Head Coach: Brian Morehouse, 24th season (582-90, .866)
- Captains: Lauren Newman, Kenedy Schoonveld, Arika Tolbert
- 2019-20 Preseason Rankings: 6th D3hoops; 9th, WBCA
- 2019-20 MIAA Preseason Poll: First
- 2019-20 Regular-Season Recap: The Flying Dutch posted a 24-5 overall record during the 2018-19 season, including a second-place, 14-2 mark in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play. Forward Francesca Buchanan was chosen to play in the inaugural Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game after concluding her career seventh among Flying Dutch players with 1,476 points and seventh in rebounds with 710. Buchanan and guard Kenedy Schoonveld repeated as All-MIAA First Team honorees. Forward Olivia Voskuil was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Year as well as a All-MIAA Second-Team selection. The Flying Dutch led the nation in home attendance, along with the men's basketball team, for the 11th consecutive season.
- 2019 Postseason Recap: Hope advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament before falling to Wartburg College (Iowa) in Waverly, Iowa. The Flying Dutch defeated Wheaton College (Illinois) in the first round. Hope finished runner-up in the MIAA Tournament after being edged in double overtime, 70-65, in the title game by Trine University (Indiana).
- 2019 Academic Honors: The Flying Dutch earned a select spot on the WBCA Academic Top 25 that recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year college teams with GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. Hope also claimed the MIAA Team GPA Award and had 10 student-athlete make the MIAA's Academic Honor Roll with 3.5 GPAs or higher.
Pictured left: From left, Olivia Voskuil and Kenedy Schoonveld cheer on their teammates.
"We've got a large group of juniors who now need to start to make that transition from being young underclassmen as sophomores to experienced juniors where their positive plays are up and the plays that they're being corrected on are down. Because by the time they get to this point, they've got a lot of experience. We're really hanging our hat on our juniors and our seniors playing like upperclassmen. That will allow us to be a better basketball team." — Head coach Brian Morehouse
Women's Basketball Roster
The Flying Dutch are starting the season with a roster of 16 varsity players. There are two seniors, nine juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen on the roster.
"Day-to-day preparation leads to confidence. The harder we work on practice, the more we communicate in practice, the more we limit mistakes and accentuate positive plays in practice, that leads to good habits in games. We're going to have to be more efficient to be a better team this year." — Head coach Brian Morehouse
Key Returners
- Guard Kenedy Schoonveld does just about everything on the basketball court. She is averaged 10.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game over 60 career games and two seasons. She has started every game of her college career.
- Forward Olivia Voskuil averaged a career-best 7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game last season. Her 99 career blocks already are eighth-most all-time by a Hope player.
- Point guard Lauren Newman, like Kenedy Schoonveld, is in her third year as a starter for the Flying Dutch. She recorded a career-high 6.1 points. 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game as a sophomore.
- Guard Sydney Muller is coming off of a successful debut campaign with the Flying Dutch that included 7.2 points, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a starter.
"Kenedy (Schoonveld) is a year older, a year more mature. She's another year into her captaincy. From a leadership standpoint, I think she's done an outstanding job this year. We're trying to build on her experience as a basketball player and having her talent being borne out of her experience and improving on it." — Head coach Brian Morehouse
"Olivia (Voskuil) worked hard this summer, battled injuries in the preseason. I think she's finally back to being full speed now and we're starting to see that. We definitely need to see her rebound the ball at a high level. We're going to try to put her in positions defensively to make plays and take advantage of her size and her athleticism each day." — Head coach Brian Morehouse
Women's Basketball Schedule
The Flying Dutch open the 2019-20 season on the road with two games at the Augustana College (Illinois )Tournament on Friday-Saturday, November 8-9. Hope's home opener at DeVos Fieldhouse is the four-team Tip Off Classic on Friday-Saturday, November 15-16. The Flying Dutch start pursuit of a MIAA championship on Wednesday, December 4 against Adrian College.
"There is a lot of depth in our league. I think the coaching in our league is at an all-time high. There is going to be a lot more parity in our league." — Head coach Brian Morehouse
2019 Coaching Staff
Head Coach Brian Morehouse
Head coach Brian Morehouse '91 has guided the Flying Dutch to a 582-90 overall record and 14 MIAA championships during his 23-year tenure. His teams have made 18 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, winning the 2006 national title and finishing as the 2010 national runner-up.
Brian Morehouse is second among active NCAA Division III women's basketball coaches with a .866 win percentage. He trails only G.P. Gromacki of Amherst College (Massachusetts), who is 516-66 after 19 seasons for an .887 win percentage.
Brian Morehouse began his coaching career as a student assistant coach for Glenn Van Wieren's men's basketball program. After graduation, he became the men's junior varsity coach for two years, compiling a record of 30-9.
Other returners
By The Numbers
- .960. Hope's win percentage at DeVos Fieldhouse since the facility opened for the 2005-06 season. The Flying Dutch own a 194-8 mark there, including a 100-5 record against MIAA opponents.
- 3.546. Hope's team grade point average for the 2018-19 school year.
- 21. Consecutive 20-win seasons for the Flying Dutch.
- 954. Hope's Division III-leading average home attendance. The Flying Dutch drew 101 more fans per game than any other team in the nation. Hope has topped Division III in home attendance 13 times, including the past 11 seasons.
DeVos Fieldhouse
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