PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Geneva College men's volleyball team wrapped up play on Saturday at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Invitational, bouncing back from yesterday's losses to earn two victories.  The Golden Tornadoes swept Central Christian College of Kansas in the first match 25-14, 25-16, 25-10 and then finished up play with a victory over Maranatha Baptist 25-15, 25-10, 25-16.  Geneva finished third at the invitational and improved its record to 3-4 this season.

In the first match of the day against Central Christian, who is playing its first season of varsity competition and had only six players available for this weekend, Geneva got off to a strong start.  A kill by sophomore Emerson Spear (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills), a double block from Spear and freshman Decker Milroy (Colorado Springs, Colo./TCA College Pathways) and an ace from junior Curtis Thomas (Arlington Heights, Ill./Christian Heritage) helped the Golden Tornadoes score the first four points of the match.  Central Christian would pull within 7-6, but Geneva responded with four straight points, including two kills from junior Byron Spear (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills), and the Golden Tornadoes steadily pulled away for a 25-14 win.  Junior Jake Williams (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) added four kills in the set.

Geneva scored the first three points of the second set behind a block and two kills from Emerson Spear.  Central Christian scored the next point, but that was as close as the Tigers got in the set.  The Golden Tornadoes slowly built a lead throughout the remainder of the set, and a kill by Williams and back-to-back aces from Byron Spear finished out the set, 25-16.

The Golden Tornadoes again took control early in the third set, and Geneva cruised in the final set.  Williams provided back-to-back aces early in the set, and later he provided three kills as the Golden Tornadoes easily finished off the match, 25-10.

Williams led the offense with 10 kills on a .471 hitting percentage.  Emerson Spear added six kills on a .556 hitting percentage, while also finishing with a team-high five blocks.  Thomas provided a team-high 16 assists and five digs.  As a team Geneva hit .328, compared to -.125 for the Tigers.

Geneva took on Maranatha Baptist a couple hours later and again got off to a good start in the first set.  The Golden Tornadoes scored the first three points, with Emerson Spear picking up a couple of early kills.  The Sabercats never got closer than two points the rest of the set.  Geneva again steadily pulled away, taking a 24-12 lead after three late kills from Williams, and the Golden Tornadoes closed out the set 25-15 on a Sabercat error.

The pattern of the day continued in the second set, with the Golden Tornadoes jumping out to an early lead.  This time Geneva scored the first four points of the set, with Byron Spear providing an early kill and Thomas an early ace.  Back-to-back aces from Emerson Spear made it 9-2, and Geneva closed out set, 25-10, by scoring the final seven points, including five straight aces from Williams to finish the set.

For the first time all day, the Golden Tornadoes fell behind in the third set, with Maranatha Baptist scoring the first three points.  Two more aces from Williams helped pull Geneva level, but the Sabercats extended their lead back out to three, 7-4.  The Golden Tornadoes answered with six straight points, with junior Devin Goodgasell (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) supplying a couple kills.  Maranatha Baptist would pull back within one, 13-12, before eight straight Geneva points put the set away.  Williams had three more aces in that stretch.  A kill from Byron Spear finished off the match, 25-16.

Williams broke the school record with 10 aces in the match.  He also provided a team-high nine kills, on a .300 hitting percentage, and six digs.  Byron Spear finished with eight kills on a .438 hitting percentage, while Emerson Spear added six kills on a .308 hitting percentage.  Thomas, who was named to the all-tournament team, led the team with 13 assists.  As a team, Geneva hit .250, compared to .039 for the Sabercats.

"We did a good job of maintaining focus today, and we did what we needed to do to come home with two victories," said Head Coach Curt Conser.  "I thought everyone contributed today.  We blocked well in the first match, and we served well in the second match, especially Jake.  We obviously hit better today as well, and we kept our errors down."

The schedule stays tough for Geneva next week, with the home-opener on Friday against a Juniata squad that is ranked #12 in the NCAA Division III preseason poll.  That match starts 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 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).