BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – On Wednesday night the Geneva College women's volleyball team hosted Westminster College in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action, and the match proved competitive throughout.  Westminster came in as the preseason favorite, and Geneva battled all match long before eventually falling 25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21.  Westminster improved to 8-1 overall, 1-0 in the PAC, while Geneva fell to 5-3, 1-1 in the PAC.

The Golden Tornadoes knew it would take a strong effort to defeat the visiting Titans, and Geneva looked poised to take the first set after the Golden Tornadoes scored nine straight points on the serve of sophomore Daphne Hunsinger to turn a 13-8 deficit into a 17-13 lead.  Geneva still led 22-20 when Westminster managed to score the last five points to steal away the first set, and the dropped set would prove costly in the end.

Westminster carried that momentum into the second set, building an early five point lead.  Geneva narrowed that margin down to two points at 16-14, but the Titans finished off the set on a 9-4 run to take that set as well.

Geneva would not go quietly, though, scoring five straight points on the serve of sophomore Grace Holdeman to take a 5-1 lead early in set three.  This time the Golden Tornadoes were able to hold off the Titans, despite a run at the end of the set by Westminster, to take set three, 25-23.

Unfortunately, Geneva could not find a way to push the match to five sets, putting itself in an early hole in the fourth set, 6-1.  Geneva would get as close as 9-8 in the set, but Westminster never gave up the lead, and the Titans held off the Golden Tornadoes just enough to take the set, and the match, 25-21.

"We always expect a great battle when Westminster is on the other side of the net, and we got one tonight," said Head Coach Wendy Smith.  "There were long rallies and strong hitting performances from both sides, but in the end we made too many hitting errors to win the match.  We are a young team and we will continue to find ways to improve."

Junior Kacey Costal led the offense with 14 kills, while freshman Elana Hoppel added 12.  Hunsinger added 33 assists and 20 digs, while Holdeman was again solid in the libero position with 26 digs.

Geneva heads back out onto the road this weekend when it takes part in the Buffalo State tournament.  The Golden Tornadoes play Allegheny College on Friday at 7:00 p.m., and then play on Saturday against Buffalo State at 11:00 a.m., and Case Western at 1:00 p.m.  Geneva returns home next Wednesday when it takes on Saint Vincent at 7:00 p.m.


Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 80 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs, and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God's Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today's world.