GREENVILLE, S.C. – This was not how the Geneva College women's volleyball team envisioned its second day at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Championship Tournament going.  A day after opening pool play with two wins, the Golden Tornadoes couldn't do much right on Thursday.  Geneva fell to Maranatha Baptist in its final pool play match of the day, forcing the Golden Tornadoes into a one-set playoff with Randall for the final semifinal spot, and Geneva could never find its form as the Saints ran away for the win, 25-14.  Geneva's season ends with a 26-10 record.

The Golden Tornadoes had to be feeling good about themselves coming into the day, with Geneva picking up a dramatic five-set victory over Randall on the first day of the tournament along with a victory over Toccoa Falls, but Thursday was not their day.  After the Golden Tornadoes lost to Maranatha Baptist to begin the day, it created a three-way tie between Geneva, Maranatha Baptist and Randall at 2-1.  The top two teams advance to the playoffs, and Maranatha Baptist won the tiebreaker to take one of the spots.  NCCAA rules dictate that the other two teams would have a one-set playoff to determine who received the second berth into the semifinals, so Geneva and Randall squared off in the afternoon after all the other pool play matches were complete.

Unfortunately, the Golden Tornadoes just could not get any momentum going, with the Saints leading almost the entire set.  Geneva tried to stay close early, at one point pulling to within 13-11, but the Saints scored seven straight points to take a 20-11 lead, and Randall easily finished out the set, 25-14.

"Today was just not our day," said Head Coach Wendy Smith.  "It's really frustrating to have one of our worst days on such an important day, but that's how sports go sometimes.  It's a tough way to end the season, but I'm still really proud of what this team has accomplished this season.  I think when we take a few days, we'll be able to better appreciate the successes we have had throughout the year.  It's always sad when a season ends and you have to say goodbye to your seniors.  We'll really miss Grace, Kacey and Millie, but I'm really excited about what we have coming back, and hopefully next season we will be able to build off what this year's team accomplished and take the next step."

Seniors Kacey Costal (Salem, Ohio/Salem), Millicent Dofelmier (Mill Creek, Wash./Jackson) and Grace McCracken (Bloomington, Ind./Lighthouse Christian Academy) will be moving on, but the junior Daphne Hunsinger (Harleysville, Pa./Christopher Dock), the Presidents' Athletic Conference Player of the Year, will be back.  Joining Hunsinger is a strong group of underclassmen, led by all-conference players in sophomores Kayla Coughlin (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) and Elana Hoppel (Castorland, N.Y./Lowville Academy and Central) and freshman Hope Shook (Bellwood, Pa./Bellwood-Antis), along with several other sophomores and freshmen who saw significant action for Geneva this season.


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 115 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 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.