BEREA, Ohio – The Geneva College men's volleyball team took the first set at Baldwin Wallace on Friday night, but the Golden Tornadoes struggled the rest of the way as the Yellow Jackets came back to defeat Geneva in four sets 25-27, 25-15, 25-16, 25-18. Geneva fell to 3-7 overall, while Baldwin Wallace improved to 3-3.
The first set was tight early, with neither team leading more than two points until Geneva scored four straight points to take a 17-13 lead. Sophomore Carter Milroy (Colorado Springs, Colo./TCA College Pathways) and junior Curtis Thomas (Arlington Heights, Ill./Christian Heritage Academy) had kills, while junior Devin Goodgasell (Kittaning, Pa./Armstrong) had an ace in the run. The Golden Tornadoes looked to be in good shape leading 24-20 before Baldwin Wallace scored four straight to even the set. After both teams traded points, though, two Yellow Jacket errors gave Geneva the set, 27-25.
The second set was tied at 6-6 before Baldwin Wallace scored seven straight points to take control of the set, and the Golden Tornadoes never threatened the rest of the way. The Yellow Jackets evened the match by winning the set, 25-15, with Geneva hitting just .051.
A double block from junior Byron Spear (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and sophomore Emerson Spear (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) helped Geneva score the first two points of the third set. However, Baldwin Wallace responded with a 6-1 run, and the Golden Tornadoes could never pull level again. The Yellow Jackets slowly extended their lead throughout the set, winning 25-16. Geneva again struggled with its attack, hitting .057, while Baldwin Wallace finished at .304.
Back-to-back kills by senior Peter Barbato (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver County Christian) and Byron Spear early in the fourth set gave Geneva a brief 7-6 lead. Baldwin Wallace followed with a 6-2 run to take a 13-9, and after the Golden Tornadoes pulled within 15-14, the Yellow Jackets pulled away in the final set as Geneva could not slow down the Baldwin Wallace attack. The Yellows Jackets finished off the match with a 25-18 win after hitting .414 in the set.
Byron Spear led the team with a career-high 14 kills, along with 10 digs. Barbato finished with 12 kills, while Milroy contributed eight kills and a team-high four blocks. Thomas added 37 assists and 10 digs. As a team, Geneva hit just .091 and had 16 service errors. Baldwin Wallace hit .228 as a team was led by Michael Beard's 15 kills.
The schedule stays tough for Geneva, as the Golden Tornadoes head to Messiah College next Friday for a 7:30 p.m. match.
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).
