ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Geneva College men's volleyball team opened its season on Friday afternoon with a split of two matches at Nazareth College. The Golden Tornadoes began the day by falling in three sets, 25-18, 25-17, 25-18, to Nazareth, but Geneva rebounded with a sweep of Hilbert, 25-14, 25-16, 25-18, in the second match of the day.
In the first match, Nazareth and Geneva both looked rusty early in the first set. Both teams' points came primarily from errors from the other team. Geneva's first point that wasn't a Nazareth error came on a kill from sophomore Emerson Spear (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills), pulling the Golden Tornadoes within 7-6. A kill by sophomore Carter Milroy (Colorado Springs, Colo./TCA College Pathways) brought Geneva within 16-14 midway through the set, but the Golden Flyers pulled away to take the first set, 25-18.
Geneva got off to a good start in the second set when junior Byron Spear (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills), his brother Emerson Spear, and senior Peter Barbato (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver County Christian) provided early kills as the Golden Tornadoes scored the first four points of the set. However, Nazareth answered right back with a 13-4 run to take a 13-8 lead. Geneva again pulled within 16-14 on an ace from Emerson Spear, but just like the first set, the Golden Flyers pulled away late to win 25-17.
Kills from Emerson Spear and Barbato gave Geneva the first two points of the third set, and a block from Emerson Spear and a kill from Byron Spear pushed the Golden Tornadoes ahead 5-3. However, Nazareth once again put together a strong stretch midway through the set, opening up an 18-10 lead, and Geneva never threatened again in falling 25-18.
Barbato led the team with seven kills, while Byron Spear added six kills. Geneva hit well as a team, .298, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't find a way to slow down the Nazareth attack, with the Golden Flyers finishing with a .405 hitting percentage.
Geneva turned immediately around to play a match with Hilbert, who is also in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference with the Golden Tornadoes, although this match did not count in the conference standings.
Geneva scored the first six points of the first set, with the Spear brothers picking up kills, along with two aces from junior Curtis Thomas (Arlington Heights, Ill./Christian Heritage Academy). The Golden Tornadoes eventually stretched their lead to 11-2 after three straight aces by Emerson Spear. Hilbert would never get closer than six points the rest of the set, and four straight points by Geneva closed out the set, 25-14.
The Golden Tornadoes opened an early 4-1 lead in the second set behind kills from Emerson Spear and junior Jake Williams (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) and an ace from Thomas. After a Hilbert point, a 6-1 Geneva run made it 10-3, with Milroy picking up two kills along with kills from Emerson Spear and Williams. The Golden Tornadoes would stretch their lead to as much as 19-7 after an ace from senior Matthew Slater (Butler, Pa./Butler) before closing out the set, 25-16, on a block from Milroy.
Hilbert jumped out to an early 5-2 lead in the third set before six straight points behind three aces and a kill from Emerson Spear gave Geneva an 8-5 lead. A moment later, a kill and two aces from freshman Decker Milroy (Colorado Springs, Colo./TCA College Pathways), along with a block from Carter Milroy and freshman Matthew Thoman (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver County Christian), extended the Golden Tornado lead to 12-7. The Hawks would close within 18-16, but a kill by Decker Milroy got the offense started again, and Geneva pulled away for a 25-18 win, the last point coming on another block from Thoman and Carter Milroy.
Byron Spear led the offense with 10 kills, while Carter Milroy finished with eight kills on an impressive .800 hitting percentage. Emerson Spear added seven kills and seven aces, one ace shy of the school record. Thomas directed the offense with 20 assists. As a team, Geneva hit .293 while holding Hilbert to a negative .060 hitting percentage. Carter Milroy had a team-high five blocks.
Geneva finishes up its weekend in New York tomorrow morning with a match at nearby St. John Fisher at 11:00 a.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 145 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. Geneva has one of the top 100 undergraduate engineering programs in the nation, according to
U.S. News and World Report. 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. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and IACE (International Association for Christian Education).
