SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Geneva College men's volleyball team opened its season with a sweep of Eastern Mennonite on the opening day of the Wittenberg Classic on Friday evening. The Golden Tornadoes won 25-19, 25-23, 25-19.
Geneva used a five-point run early in the first set to take an 8-3 lead, and the Golden Tornadoes led the whole rest of the set. Eastern Mennonite pulled within two points multiple times, but service errors hurt the Royals and prevented Eastern Mennonite from getting any closer. A block from junior Emerson Spear gave Geneva a late 23-17 lead, and then Spear finished off the set with a kill, 25-19.
Kills from senior Jake Williams and junior Carter Milroy staked the Golden Tornadoes to an early 5-2 lead in the second set, but Eastern Mennonite used a 5-1 run to take the lead back, and the set stayed tight the rest of the way. Neither team led by more than two points before a four-point run on four kills from Spear, Williams, Milroy and senior Byron Spear gave the Golden Tornadoes a 20-16 edge. The Royals battled back, though, pulling level at 23-23 before kills from Byron and Emerson Spear gave Geneva the set, 25-23.
Geneva jumped out to a 9-5 lead in the third set, with Emerson Spear supplying two early kills. Two kills from Milroy helped push the edge to 12-7 before a 7-3 run from the Royals pulled Eastern Mennonite within 15-14. The teams traded three-point runs before a four-point run on kills from Byron Spear, Williams and graduate student Curtis Thomas, along with an ace from Emerson Spear, gave Geneva a 22-17 advantage, and a block from Milroy and freshman Andrew Ubinger closed out the match, 25-19.
Milroy finished with nine kills on a tremendous .692 hitting percentage, while Byron Spear also added nine kills on a strong .368 hitting percentage. Emerson Spear finished with seven kills on a .211 hitting percentage. As a team Geneva finished with an impressive .298 hitting percentage. Byron Spear had a team-high 12 digs, while Thomas finished with 30 assists.
The men will wrap up play at the classic tomorrow with games against Roanoke at 2:00 p.m. and Wittenberg at 4:00 p.m.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. 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 the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
