ALLIANCE, Ohio – The Geneva College men's volleyball team dropped its final non-conference match of the season at Mount Union on Thursday evening, falling in straight sets 20-25, 16-25, 23-25. Geneva's record is now 17-14 overall.
Mount Union scored four straight points early in the first set to take a 7-5 lead. After a kill from junior Byron Spear (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and an ace from junior Jake Williams (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) tied the score, the Raiders scored seven straight points. Senior Peter Barbato (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver County Christian) had three kills over the next few minutes to help Geneva pull within 14-13. A moment later, back-to-back kills from sophomore Carter Milroy (Colorado Springs, Colo./TCA College Pathways) followed by a kill from sophomore Emerson Spear (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) pulled Geneva even at 18-18. However, Mount Union controlled the rest of the set in winning 25-20.
Mount Union scored the first four points of the second set on its way to a 9-1 lead, and the set was never competitive the rest of the way, with the Purple Raiders winning 25-16.
Geneva led for the early part of the third set, with back-to-back kills from Barbato giving the Golden Tornadoes an 11-6 lead. Geneva still led 17-14 after a kill from Byron Spear when Mount Union took control with an 8-2 run. The Golden Tornadoes pulled within 24-23, but the Raiders finished off the match with a kill, 25-23.
Barbato again led the attack with 14 kills, while Byron Spear added nine kills. Geneva hit just .132 as a team. Junior Curtis Thomas (Arlington Heights, Ill./Christian Heritage Academy) directed the offense with 27 assists, while Barbato finished with a team-high 15 digs.
Mount Union had a balanced offensive attack with six different players finishing with at least five kills, while the Raiders finished with a .232 hitting percentage.
Geneva finishes its regular season with a huge tri-match at Penn State Altoona on Saturday. The Golden Tornadoes take on first-place Penn State Behrend at 2:30 p.m., followed by a match against Penn State Altoona at 5:00 p.m. Depending upon how Saturday's matches go, Geneva can finish anywhere from first to fourth place in the conference standings. If the Golden Tornadoes finish third or fourth, they'll host a quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday. If they finish in the top two, they'll wait until Friday to play in the semifinals.
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).
