• Sophomore Eden Wilson lifts Bears past Madison Community College, 3-2
• Sophomore Coryl Matheny has nine kills in 3-0 win over Waubonsee CC
• Wilson has 15 kills in upset of Muskegon Community College

The DMACC volleyball team opened the 2023 season with a 3-1 record in the Rockford Tournament August 18 and 19 at Rockford, Ill.

The Bears won their first three matches, defeating Madison Community College (MCC), Waubonsee Community College (WCC) and Muskegon Community College (MCC) before falling to Mott Community College (MCC) in their final match of the tournament. Muskegon Community College entered the tournament ranked ninth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll.

Sophomore Eden Wilson of Conrad had 12 kills to lead DMACC to a 25-12, 17-25, 25-9, 22-25, 15-9 win over Madison Community College in the Bears' tournament opener on Aug. 18. Sophomores Coryl Matheny of Glenwood, Kylie Henry of Urbana, Zophi Hendricks of Defiance and Monica Mirembe of Ankeny had seven kills apiece in the win.

DMACC hit .207 in the win, getting 45 kills from 140 attacks with 16 hitting errors.

Sophomore Emma Flathers of Treynor led the Bears in assists with 38 and sophomore Kenya Prescott of Carroll contributed five ace serves and a team-high 23 digs. Matheny had 22 digs, sophomore Jerica Heintz of Polk City finished with 18 and Flathers and sophomore Maddie Dunham of Nevada came away with 11 and 10 respectively. Heintz had three ace serves and Matheny contributed two.

Mirembe and Flathers led DMACC in blocks with four solo blocks apiece and Henry finished with three.

The Bears handed Waubonsee a 25-13, 25-16, 25-15 loss behind nine kills from Matheny, seven apiece by Henry and Hendricks and five from Wilson in their second match on Aug. 18. DMACC hit .394 in the match getting 39 kills from 94 attacks with just two hitting errors.

Flathers led the way in assists with 33 and Dunham and Flathers had three ace serves apiece with Prescott and Heintz getting two apiece. Prescott topped DMACC in digs with 22 and Heintz and Dunham had 10 apiece.

Wilson had 15 kills and hit .667 in the 25-19, 25-17, 25-8 upset of Muskegon Community College in the Bears' first match on Aug. 19. She got her kills from 21 attacks and one hitting error. Matheny and Hendricks had eight kills apiece in the win.

Flathers was again the leader in assists with 34 and Dunham came away with four ace serves. Prescott and Matheny led DMACC in digs with 14 and 13 respectively and Flathers had four block assists.

Mott Community College handed DMACC its first loss of the season in a 28-26, 25-17, 30-28 decision in the Bears' final match of the tournament.

Matheny led the way in kills with eight and freshman Aquarina Thomas of Tucson, Ariz., added seven. DMACC hit .131 with 34 kills from 145 attacks with 15 hitting errors.

Flathers had 30 assists in the loss and Prescott led five players in double figures in digs with 30. Matheny came away with 16, Flathers had 15, Dunham finished with 13 and Heintz had 10. Mirembe and Flathers had five and three block assists respectively.

The DMACC volleyball team will open the home portion of its season tonight against Indian Hills Community College (IHCC). Match time is 6 p.m. inside the DMACC gymnasium. The match was originally scheduled to be played in Ottumwa but was moved because of floor issues in the IHCC facility. The two teams will play again on Oct. 30 at Ottumwa.