Youngwood, PA - It was a close shave for the Howard Community College Dragons last Saturday, as they narrowly defeated the Westmoreland County Community College Wolfpack 3-2!

The win moves the Dragons to 5-6 on the season, though it wasn't easy. The short-handed Dragons narrowly avoided a reverse sweep with a clutch victory over the Wolfpack. Howard won the first two sets, but had to fight from behind in both. They took set one 25-21 and set two 25-22.

Set three saw the Wolfpack take their first victory of the day with a 25-21 win. Howard pulled ahead early in set four, but errors led to a Wolfpack comeback and a 25-20 victory. Facing the possibility of a reverse sweep, the Dragons narrowly edged out the win 15-13 in the final set.

The Dragons recorded 40 total kills on the day, with Toriana Curry (Baltimore, MD/Carver Center) recording eight to lead the team. Abigail Leis (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron), Arianna Layne (Bridgetown, Barbados/Combermere School), and Gracie Close (Elkridge, MD/Long Reach) each recorded seven kills. Cheyenne Ellis (Eldersburg, MD/Century) led the team with 20 assists, while Austin recorded five service aces. Leis added three blocks on defense, while four Dragons recorded double-digit digs. Zyon Austin (Odenton, MD/Meade) led the team with 19, followed by 17 from Cailyn Harvey (Elkridge, MD/Oakland Mills), 14 from Layne, and eleven from Close.

The Dragons win puts them one game out of a playoff spot in the upcoming Region 20 championships with three weeks left in the season. The Dragons will face Frederick Community College, the team right ahead of them in the standings on Wednesday, October 1 at 7:00 PM in a crucial match!