BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College men's volleyball team dropped its home opener to Mount Union on Tuesday night inside Metheny Fieldhouse. The Raiders took all three sets by scores of 25-21, 25-20, 25-19. Mount Union improved to 5-1 overall, while Geneva dropped to 3-6.
The Raiders came into the match with some impressive results early in their season, enabling them to receive votes in the most recent national rankings. Their only loss came in five sets to a Messiah squad that just knocked off the top ranked team in Division III, Carthage. Mount Union had swept their other four opponents, and the Raiders continued their strong play on Tuesday.
Mount Union jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set. Geneva battled back to within one point, 9-8, on kills from junior Carter Milroy and senior Byron Spear. However, a moment later, the Raiders used a 6-1 run to take a 16-10 edge. The Golden Tornadoes pulled within three points, 23-20, but Mount Union closed out the set 25-21.
The second set was tight early, with each team alternating points. Mount Union then used a 4-1 run to take a 10-7 edge, eventually extending its lead to 16-11. Geneva answered with five straight points to pull level again, with senior Jake Williams contributing a kill and a block, junior Emerson Spear a solo block, and Byron Spear a kill. Geneva could never take a lead, though, and with the set tied at 18-18 after another Byron Spear kill, Mount Union closed the set on a 7-2 run to win 25-10. The Raiders hit .467 in the set.
A kill by Williams to start the third set gave Geneva its only lead of the match. Mount Union responded with three straight points, and the Raiders never let up. Mount Union eventually extended its lead to 15-6 after five straight points. Geneva got within six, 21-15, on a kill from senior Devin Goodgasell, but the Raiders finished out the match with a 25-19 win. Mount Union hit .433 in the set.
Geneva hit .234 as a team, with Byron Spear accumulating a team-high 11 kills. Emerson Spear finished with six kills on a .600 hitting percentage, while Williams and Milroy also added six kills apiece. Graduate student Curtis Thomas had 15 assists, while sophomore Decker Milroy finished with 12 assists. Carter Milroy had a team-high five blocks, while senior Paul Peachey led the team with eight digs.
Mount Union finished with a .372 hitting percentage and was led by Cameron Ternent's 12 kills on a .579 hitting percentage.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Golden Tornadoes, who travel to Juniata this weekend for three matches. Geneva will face Juniata on Friday, and then play Messiah and Stevenson on Saturday. Juniata and Messiah are both undefeated and ranked #2 and #3 in Division III.
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).
