The Pine Bush Bushmen and the Cornwall Dragons entered the game with identical records.

Both teams had two losses each, both to the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders and the Valley Central Vikings. However, when the ball hit the floor for the last time, the Dragons were victorious, defeating the Bushmen, 3-0, in a non-league volleyball game on Oct. 6 at Pine Bush High School.

The first of the three sets was the most competitive of the night, but the Dragons pulled it out 28-26. The Bushmen took a 3-0 and held the lead until a Pine Bush hitting error tied the set at 11-11. Then a kill by Cornwall’s Erin Petruzzi 12-11 lead, their first of the night. The Dragons opened their lead to three points after a kill by Camryn Perez pushed the score to 18-15.

However, a service error by Perez opened the door for the Bushmen, who sent Alexia Fontana to the service line. She pulled the Bushmen to within a point with an ace, and the match was tied again on a hitting error by Emma Willis. The Bushmen led 19-18 on a hitting error by Peyton Merrill.

That’s when Cornwall coach Jeff Moulton called for a timeout. Perez followed with a kill to tie the match back at 19-19, sending the serve back to the dragons.

A kill by Cecilia Cruz and an ace by Willis gave the Dragons a 21-19 lead, forcing Pine Bush coach Melyssa Amelio to call for a timeout. The Bushmen never led again, and the two times went back and forth before a hitting error by Pine Bush’s Sade Christophe gave the Dragons a 26-28 win, and a one-set lead.

The Dragons and Bushmen battled back and forth until Petruzzi went to the service line with Cornwall leading 11-10. When the Bushmen finally got her off the serving line on Madelyn Doyle’s block, the Dragons led 16-11. They went on to win the second set 25-18.

Like they did in the first set, the Bushmen took a 3-0 lead with Isabella Santiago at the service line. However, the Dragons rallied back quickly to tie the third set at 5-5. The Dragons took the lead for good on a hitting error by Pine Bush’s Taylor Moser and Cornwall’s Lyla Otto finished with a seven-point service run, which included three aces, and a commanding 20-11 lead.

But the Bushmen weren’t done, rallying back to two points, 23-21. Then, Cruz tipped the ball over the net to bring it to match point, and a tip by Petruzzi ended the night with a 25-21 win in the third set.

The Dragons continued the week with a 3-1 win over the Middletown Middies. They finished the week at the Shenendehowa Tournament on Saturday.