The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) volleyball team dropped a 3-2 decision to Kirkwood Community College (KCC) in the Bears' Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) opener August 30 at Cedar Rapids.

KCC, ranked seventh in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll, won the match by scores of 22-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 19-17. With the loss, DMACC, the No. 11 team in the NJCAA Division II poll, fell to 3-3 for the season.

The.Bears were hurt by poor hitting, collecting 46 kills from 166 attacks with 35 hitting errors for a .066 hitting percentage.

Sophomore Lauren Rieck of Ankeny and freshman Peyton Parker of La Porte City paced DMACC with 11 kills apiece and freshman Madison Paulsen of Council Bluffs had nine kills to go with a pair of ace serves and a team-high 23 digs.

Sophomore Leiah Paustian of Marshalltown led the Bears in assists with 39 and had 13 digs. Freshman Gill Tupper of Nevada contributed 17 digs and Rieck topped DMACC in blocks with seven, including five block assists. Paustian and freshman Brianna Harvey of Dysart had four blocks apiece and Paulsen came away with three blocks.

The DMACC volleyball team will face Wentworth Military Academy and MCC-Longview Sept. 5 at Lee's Summit, Mo.