Columbia, MD - Howard Community College's women's volleyball team split their first tri-match of the season on Saturday, defeating the Community College of Beaver County 3-0 and falling 3-0 to the College of Southern Maryland.

Game One: Dragons 3, Titans 0
HCC faces the Titans of the Community College of Beaver County in their first match, coming away with a 3-0 sweep. Howard dominated the match, holding the Titans to single-digits in two of the three sets. Toriana Curry (Baltimore, MD/Carver Center) led the Dragons with 12 kills, while Stefamae Barquillia (Samar, The Philippines/Einstein) put together another excellent performance with 20 digs. Cheyenne Ellis (Eldersburg, MD/Century) continued her strong start to the season with a team-high 28 sets and nine aces.

Game Two: Hawks 3, Dragons 0
Howard's second match of the day went much differently, as the Dragons were swept by a dominant College of Southern Maryland Hawks team. The Dragons kept the game close, as sets two and three both came down to the wire. Ellis and Barquillia continued to lead the Dragons defensively, with Ellis recording 21 assists and Barquillia recording 18 digs. Zyon Austin (Odenton, MD/Meade) and Arianna Layne (Bridgetown, Barbados/Combermere School) were crucial on the defensive front in keeping Howard's chances alive, recording 13 and 12 digs respectively. On offense, Abigail Leis (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron) led the Dragons with six kills.

The Dragons next head to Rockville, MD for their first road game of the season, as they duel with the Montgomery College Raptors at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, September 9.