- DMACC takes a 28-10 record and No. 11 seed into the match
- Grand Rapids CC is 26-3 and seeded sixth
- Winner advances to the quarterfinals on November 16
The DMACC volleyball team is in the process of wrapping up preparations for its first match in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Volleyball Championship November 15 to 18 at Alliant Energy Powerhouse Arena in Cedar Rapids.
The Bears, seeded 11th and making their first appearance in the tournament since 2015, face sixth-seeded Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 15. DMACC comes in at 28-10 and GRCC is 26-3. The Raiders are riding a 24-match winning streak.
"We have been able to watch some film on (GRCC) and they're a good team," DMACC volleyball coach Danielle Lopez said. "They've got some strong hitters so we need to adjust our blocks. They also run a little bit slower tempo than we're used to so our blocking needs to adjust to that and our defense needs to be true to their reads. If we play our game, I feel pretty confident that we'll have a good showing."
One factor that could benefit DMACC is its balance. The Bears have six players with 100 or more kills, led by sophomore Coryl Matheny of Glenwood with 341. Sophomore Zophi Hendricks of Defiance is close behind at 339 and sophomore Eden Wilson of Conrad is next in line with 286 kills. Sophomore Monica Mirembe of Ankeny has 201 kills, freshman Abbi Brenizer of Norwalk finished the regular season at 142 and sophomore Kylie Henry of Urbana has 115.
GRCC has five players with 100 or more kills led by 6-foot-1 freshman Lizzie MacIntosh with 310.
"I think that's also why we've been so successful as we're able to spread the ball around and keep the other team guessing as to who is going to get the ball," Lopez said. "That's been a huge advantage for us this season."
The Bears also have an edge in assists where DMACC's Emma Flathers comes into the tournament with 1,331 assists to 665 for GRCC leader Carle Bruggema. Sophomore Kenya Prescott lead the Bears in digs with 783 and Mirembe tops DMACC in blocks with 104, including 86 block assists. DMACC has six players in double figures in ace serves led by sophomore Maddie Dunham of Nevada who has 69.
Lopez compared GRCC to two of DMACC's regular-season opponents, Ellsworth Community College (ECC) and Hawkeye Community College (HCC). The Bears defeated ECC twice during the 2023 season, once during the regular season and the second time in the NJCAA Division II Region XI tournament. DMACC also defeated HCC during the regular season.
DMACC and GRCC faced four common opponents in 2023, Kirkwood Community College (KCC), Southeastern Community College (SECC), Illinois Central College (ICC) and Mott Community College (MCC). DMACC defeated KCC, 3-0, and GRCC dropped a 3-0 decision to the Eagles. Both teams defeated SECC, DMACC by a 3-0 score and GRCC by a 3-1 score. The Raiders were 3-1 winners against ICC and DMACC lost by a 3-2 score. And GRCC handled MCC, 3-1, while DMACC fell by a 3-0 score.
Lopez noted that the MCC match came early in DMACC's season and thinks her team is a lot better than it was early on.
"We just adjusted to our rolls and gelled as a group," Lope said. "That and developing our offense and defense."
The DMACC-GRCC winner will play one of three teams in a quarterfinal match Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Wallace State Community College (WSCC), the No. 14 seed, faces 19th-seeded Hartford Community College (HCC) in a play-in match at 11 a.m. on Nov. 15. That winner will play third-seeded Parkland College (PC) at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 with the winner of that match moving on to face DMACC or GRCC.
The DMACC-GRCC loser will be sent to the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament with a chance to finish as high as third.