Returner Sara Jesse sets up volleyball in warm-ups. File photo/Dick Kelly
By Jessica McNeece
Staff Writer
Bronnhia Bailey sets her alarm for 6 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday now that spring volleyball season has started. She is in the gym by 6:30 a.m. with the memory of the last game on her mind.
Last year, the 18 players of the DMACC Bears women’s volleyball team lined up opposite of their archrivals, the Kirkwood Eagles, on Nov. 3.
DMACC had won their first round in the regional tournament against Iowa Lakes. They ended up playing Kirkwood Community College for the Regional Final game. This game would take them to the national tournament. They lost in four sets. Every game was neck and neck; they had two games that were within two points of each other.
“Being a freshman I didn’t understand the rivalry, but in the finals it touched me. Everyone came together. It made the team realize how important it is to beat them [this fall],” said Bailey.
Bailey, a freshman, played as DMACC’s outside hitter last season. She will be returning to play next season and is seeking revenge on Kirkwood.
Head Coach Patty Harrison remembers that Regional Finals game and knows what it takes to achieve a win.
“I was proud of the girls to be right with them. The program is there. The game could have gone either way. The girls fought till the end,” said Harrison. “My returning players will know what it takes next season.”
Bailey uses this to fuel her expectations. The loss to Kirkwood is her motivation for when she returns to the court this fall.
“My expectations are to beat Kirkwood and better ourselves as a team. We need to learn to play better together,” said Bailey.
Iowa State sophomore Hope Wadle went to Kirkwood last school year and played on the volleyball team there for a year.
“We looked at DMACC as our best competition in the conference. Playing them was probably the most important game in the season, besides the game to go to nationals,” Wadle said.
The DMACC team started its spring season Feb. 1. Freshman Sara Jesse is returning in the fall as a setter for the DMACC Bears.
Staff Writer
Bronnhia Bailey sets her alarm for 6 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday now that spring volleyball season has started. She is in the gym by 6:30 a.m. with the memory of the last game on her mind.
Last year, the 18 players of the DMACC Bears women’s volleyball team lined up opposite of their archrivals, the Kirkwood Eagles, on Nov. 3.
DMACC had won their first round in the regional tournament against Iowa Lakes. They ended up playing Kirkwood Community College for the Regional Final game. This game would take them to the national tournament. They lost in four sets. Every game was neck and neck; they had two games that were within two points of each other.
“Being a freshman I didn’t understand the rivalry, but in the finals it touched me. Everyone came together. It made the team realize how important it is to beat them [this fall],” said Bailey.
Bailey, a freshman, played as DMACC’s outside hitter last season. She will be returning to play next season and is seeking revenge on Kirkwood.
Head Coach Patty Harrison remembers that Regional Finals game and knows what it takes to achieve a win.
“I was proud of the girls to be right with them. The program is there. The game could have gone either way. The girls fought till the end,” said Harrison. “My returning players will know what it takes next season.”
Bailey uses this to fuel her expectations. The loss to Kirkwood is her motivation for when she returns to the court this fall.
“My expectations are to beat Kirkwood and better ourselves as a team. We need to learn to play better together,” said Bailey.
Iowa State sophomore Hope Wadle went to Kirkwood last school year and played on the volleyball team there for a year.
“We looked at DMACC as our best competition in the conference. Playing them was probably the most important game in the season, besides the game to go to nationals,” Wadle said.
The DMACC team started its spring season Feb. 1. Freshman Sara Jesse is returning in the fall as a setter for the DMACC Bears.
Returner Bronnhia Bailey goes up for a big block against NIACC. File photo/Dick Kelly
“So far we are doing open gym and workouts in the morning. When basketball ends we will get in the gym more,” said Jesse. “We are just at practice working hard to get better everyday.”
The team’s record was 28-15 last season and they were fourth in the conference.
“We need to work on serve receive and our defense. It all starts with a pass,” Jesse said.
Assistant Coach Darcy Christensen agrees with Harrison and her thoughts on what to improve on.
“We need to work on team work, coming together, and being able to handle situations during game time. We also need to know when to score big points,” said Christensen.
Teamwork is a challenging concept to work with at a community college. When the sophomores leave, Harrison has half the team to recruit back.
“I’m a little worried about next season. Our main passers are sophomores and our middles will be completely new coming in,” Jesse said.
Out of the 18 women on the team, five are returning. They also have a transfer and a manager coming in to play.
Harrison has four recruits that have signed and a lot more interested in DMACC for the fall.
“A lot of recruits are holding off but we have a lot of offers out there. A lot of coaches seem to be in the same position. We have some really good middle hitters coming in and hopefully by March we will get the last couple girls to finish the team off,” Harrison says.
The transfer student that is going to play with the team next year is Barbra Menezes. She is transferring from Texas to play with her sister Sheila Menezes who is one of the outside hitters this fall.
“It feels good to see people coming in and proving that they are good enough or better than the girls that played those positions previously,” Bailey said.
Recruit Carissa Rainey from Ankeny High School feels just as excited to play this fall as Bailey feels.
“I’m excited to play. I like the coach and the players. They are really nice. They have a good group of girls who seem to have a lot of fun. I am also excited to live in the apartments with the team,” said Rainey.
After a hard loss to a rival team in the finals, the DMACC Bears are working hard now to prepare for the fall. They have several tournaments lined up this spring.
“We need to get the team mentally and physically prepared for the regional final game. We want to get back to the national tournament. I think we will be a top contender this year,” Harrison said.
The team’s record was 28-15 last season and they were fourth in the conference.
“We need to work on serve receive and our defense. It all starts with a pass,” Jesse said.
Assistant Coach Darcy Christensen agrees with Harrison and her thoughts on what to improve on.
“We need to work on team work, coming together, and being able to handle situations during game time. We also need to know when to score big points,” said Christensen.
Teamwork is a challenging concept to work with at a community college. When the sophomores leave, Harrison has half the team to recruit back.
“I’m a little worried about next season. Our main passers are sophomores and our middles will be completely new coming in,” Jesse said.
Out of the 18 women on the team, five are returning. They also have a transfer and a manager coming in to play.
Harrison has four recruits that have signed and a lot more interested in DMACC for the fall.
“A lot of recruits are holding off but we have a lot of offers out there. A lot of coaches seem to be in the same position. We have some really good middle hitters coming in and hopefully by March we will get the last couple girls to finish the team off,” Harrison says.
The transfer student that is going to play with the team next year is Barbra Menezes. She is transferring from Texas to play with her sister Sheila Menezes who is one of the outside hitters this fall.
“It feels good to see people coming in and proving that they are good enough or better than the girls that played those positions previously,” Bailey said.
Recruit Carissa Rainey from Ankeny High School feels just as excited to play this fall as Bailey feels.
“I’m excited to play. I like the coach and the players. They are really nice. They have a good group of girls who seem to have a lot of fun. I am also excited to live in the apartments with the team,” said Rainey.
After a hard loss to a rival team in the finals, the DMACC Bears are working hard now to prepare for the fall. They have several tournaments lined up this spring.
“We need to get the team mentally and physically prepared for the regional final game. We want to get back to the national tournament. I think we will be a top contender this year,” Harrison said.