- Bears are ranked 15th in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll
- DMACC returns six sophomores from last season's 23-18 team
- Bears welcome nine incoming freshmen
The DMACC volleyball team begins the 2025 season in the Opening Weekend Tournament August 22 and 23 at Rockford, Ill.
The Bears, ranked 15th in the Division II preseason poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), will face Waubonsee Community College (WCC) and Carl Sandburg Community College (CSCC) on Aug. 22 and will play Muskegon Community College (MCC) and John A Logan Community College (JLCC) on Aug. 23.
CSCC is the only ranked opponent the Bears will face in the tournament. The Chargers are 25th in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll.
"We are definitely ready and hoping that we can have a better season than we did last year," DMACC volleyball coach Daneille Lopez said. "We're hoping to get back to (the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championship) like we did a couple of years ago."
Lopez, beginning her fifth season as the head coach, welcomes six returning sophomores from last season's team that compiled a 23-18 overall record and an 8-3 record in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC), tying for third place behind conference champion Kirkwood Community College (KCC) and runner-up Iowa Central Community College (ICCC). KCC and ICCC are ranked seventh and ninth in the Division II preseason poll.
Returning sophomores are setters Sydney Anderson of Marshalltown and Riley Starkey of Rockford, Ill. Also back is right side/outside hitter Danica Wrage of Waterloo, defensive specialist Lauren Sandvold of Cedar Falls and middle blocker Emma Liechti of Ankeny. Sophomore Reagan Wheeler of Cedar Falls has been added to the roster after playing basketball for the DMACC women's team last season.
Liechti had 239 kills and averaged 1.59 kills per set last season and Wrage came away with 116 kills and a 1.15 average. Anderson ended the 2024 season with 271 assists and averaged 4.84 assists per set. Starkey contributed 44 assists in limited action and Sandvold led the Bears in ace serves with 54 and also had 555 serve returns, third best on the team.
Incoming freshmen are outside hitters Ramsey Johnston of Chaska, Minn., and Kathryn Lukkarinen of Macomb, Ill., setter Saige De Jong of Pella, middle blockers Alli Sheldahl of Hubbard and Avery Haslejet of Center Point, right side hitter Brooklyn Lyftogt of Van Meter and defensive specialists Aliya Ballard of Cedar Rapids, Indy Johnson of Clarion and Kyleigh Turks of Franklin, Tenn.
Lopez said Wheeler, Johnston, Johnson, Lukkarinen and Sheldahl have been impressive in practice and scrimmage matches and are expected to make major contributions this season.
Wheeler, Lukkarinen and Sheldahl are vying for starting at outside hitter with Liechti, Wrage and Haslejet at middle blocker and Johnston, Lyftogt and Sheldahl at right side hitter. Anderson, Starkey and De Jong are competing for the setter position and Sandvold, Ballard, Johnson and Turks are the candidates at defensive specialist.
Lopez said the freshmen have adapted well to DMACC's system, adding that she is excited to see how they will fare in the Opening Weekend Tournament.
Lopez said she sees her team's strength as a desire to be successful.
"They have all bought in and they really want to make a name for themselves," Lopez said. "Injuries are always a concern as is our being a younger team."
Following the Opening Weekend Tournament, the DMACC volleyball team will face Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) on Aug. 25 before opening the home season against Ellsworth Community College (ECC) on Aug. 27. IHCC is ranked seventh in NJCAA Division I.
Other ranked teams the Bears will face early in the season include Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and KCC. JCCC is ranked second in NJCAA Division II and will play DMACC Aug. 29 at Overland Park, Kan. DMACC and KCC will square off Sept. 3 at Cedar Rapids.