Box Score HUTCHINSON, Kan. - A slow start to for the Dodge City Community College volleyball team led to a 3-0 loss (25-16, 25-18, 26-24) to No. 20 nationally ranked Hutchinson Community College at the Hutchinson Sports Arena on Wednesday, September 14th. 

DC3 is now 6-5 on the season and 2-1 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while the Blue Dragons stayed perfect in the KJCCC at 4-0 and 8-4 overall. 

The Blue Dragons would jump otuto a 14-7 lead in the first set and never look back as Dodge City would close the gap to 22-15 before falling in the first set by a score of 25-16. A much closer second set would see the Conquistadors keep things as close as 11-9 and 19-14 before Hutchinson would close out the set on a 6-4 run to win 25-18. In the third set, DC3 finally seemed to find their groove and would jump out to a 13-12 lead and hold leads of 19-17, 21-19, and 23-21. Hutchinson would tie things at 23 as the Blue Dragons ended the match on a 5-1 run to take the third set 26-24 and sweep the match. 

"We started off slow tonight and were a little intimidated in the first two sets" said head coach Kamri Nehls in a postgame interview. "But we showed we can compete with a nationally ranked team. Next time we need to come out with a better mentality and ready to play when we play them next."

Sada Smith led the Conquistadors with eight kills and 15 digs to go along with one service ace. Sophomore Briana Brown had 11 assists and nine digs to fall just shy of a double-double while Alex Bruey had eight kills. 

Up next for the Conqs is the eight-team, two-day DC3 tournament on Friday and Saturday being played at Dodge City High School. Dodge City will open up with a 1 p.m. KJCCC match against Butler Community College on Friday before playing Cedar Valley College at 5 p.m.