Nov. 5, 2022 was a historic day for Calvin Athletics. It marked the third time in history that Calvin has swept the MIAA tournament titles in men’s soccer, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball at home. The previous two times were in 2015 and 2012. 

The day kicked off on Zuidema Field, where women’s soccer beat Trine 1-0 for the MIAA tournament championship. Their success was followed up by men’s soccer’s victory against Hope 3-0 to win their MIAA tournament championship. The night ended in the Van Noord Arena as women’s volleyball’s three-set win against Albion resulted in a second consecutive MIAA tournament championship. All three teams also won their MIAA conference championships. Women’s soccer, men’s soccer and women’s volleyball all earned automatic bids to the NCAA tournament as a result of these wins.   

Women’s Volleyball

Women’s volleyball has a record of 25-3 and is hosting the NCAA Regional tournament. Volleyball went through those three losses all at the beginning of their season as they were “working out the kinks,” said Head Coach Amber Warners. “I think at the beginning of the season when we had those tough losses we were trying to figure things out,” said Warners. “We have a freshman setter and we were trying to adjust to those types of sets and we had a totally new group of seniors who were used to the same setter. We had an amazing preseason and we knew what was there.” The team hasn’t lost a game since Sept. 21 and are on a 17-game winning streak. 

Warners is proud of the way the team has adjusted this season. “Every year there’s a new [team] personality and so I think we’ve done a really nice job of accepting one anothers’ differences and working together as a team,” she said. “On the court, [we’ve had] better communication and I think we’ve done a really nice job of going for every ball and we’ve become a really scrappy team.”

Coach Warners’ most memorable game this season was the Oct. 27 game against Albion. “I’m most proud of our match against Albion in the regular season, because Heidi [Westra] was out with an injury,” Warners said. “When your best player isn’t playing I didn’t know how we would come out as far as the mentality, and I thought we did an amazing job and I thought we laid it out on the line against Albion.” 

This season, senior Heidi Westra earned MIAA Most Valuable Player;she along with junior Gabriella Kellog, senior Tori Roskamp and senior Aubrey Wrubel received All-MIAA first team honors. First-year student Alyssa DeVries received All-MIAA second team honors. Warners was named AVCA Region Seven Coach of the Year, Westra received AVCA Region Seven player of the year and she, Wrubel, DeVries and Roskamp received All-Region Honors. 

Women’s Volleyball won their first and second round matches to Aurora and UW-Oshkosh.  

Women’s soccer

Women’s soccer was 17-0-1 going into the NCAA tournament. Sophomore Bri Wade attributed their record to their “hard work and not worrying about the results.”

Wade said some of the team’s struggles later in the season have been dealing with sickness and weather conditions as the school year progressed.

The team earned a slew of All-MIAA honors this season. First-year student Lucy Iverson earned MIAA’s Most Valuable Player. Juniors Sophie Mueller, Kaitlyn Van Laare and Rory Pruis earned All-MIAA First Team honors, as did Iverson and sophomore Kalex Dodge. Sophomore Lindsey Houtsma and seniors Karley Michmerhuizen and Anna Reimink earned All-MIAA Second Team honors. 

Women’s soccer is looking forward to the NCAA competition as they travel to Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, PA for their first round of NCAA Regionals on Nov. 11. 

Calvin women’s soccer is continuing to take each game as it comes during the NCAA tournament. “It’s the same as any other game,” Wade said.  “We can’t get focused on the [stakes]. We just have to play how we play.” 

Calvin women’s soccer won their first round game against Nazareth 2-0 on Nov. 11. 

Men’s soccer

Calvin men’s soccer earned several All-MIAA accolades. Senior Chris Schau earned MIAA Most Valuable player and is First Team All-league. Seniors Daniel Wunder, Colin Iverson, Aguma Muhuzma and Mason Smith received All-MIAA First Team honors, as did first-year student Jacob Ryu and junior Oliver Akintade. First-year student Jonah Meyer-Crothers earned All-MIAA Second Team honors. 

Calvin men’s soccer is going into their NCAA regional 16-2 and are traveling to Kenyon College to start their tournament run. 

Men’s soccer beat Carnegie Mellon 5-0 on Nov. 11 to advance to round two of the NCAA tournament. Their record is now 17-2.