BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College women's volleyball team started well in its match with first place Chatham on Thursday night inside Metheny Fieldhouse, winning the first two sets, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't get that elusive third set and saw Chatham come from behind to win 24-26, 23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-11. Geneva dropped to 9-8 overall, 2-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Chatham won its seventh straight game and improved to 11-4, 3-0 in the PAC.
Chatham led for most of the first set, but Geneva hung close, pulling even several times throughout the set, but unable to take the lead. The Cougars looked to be in control when they grabbed a 20-15 lead, but the Golden Tornadoes responded. A kill from junior Kami Mummau got the women started, and a minute later a kill from junior Megan Veon started a four-point run to pull Geneva even at 22-22. Chatham got the next point, but a kill by senior Tess Neville and a Cougar error gave the Golden Tornadoes their first lead, 24-23. Chatham scored the next point, but a kill from Veon and an ace from sophomore Emily Nelson allowed Geneva to prevail, 26-24.
The second set followed a similar script. The Cougars used an 8-1 run midway through the set to grab a 14-9 edge. Geneva battled back, and after a kill from Veon and back-to-back aces from Mummau, the Golden Tornadoes pulled even at 16-16. A minute later, Geneva reeled off five straight points. Veon started with a kill, Nelson followed with an ace, Neville picked up a kill, senior Samantha Peachey delivered a kill, and Neville closed the run with another kill to give the women a 22-18 edge. The win didn't come easily, though. The Cougars scored the next three points and after Chatham pulled within 24-23, Mummau delivered the win with a kill, 25-23.
Chatham jumped ahead 14-9 in the third set before Geneva tried to rally. Four straight points late in the set pulled the women level at 19-19, and the teams alternated points until, tied at 22-22, the Cougars scored the final three points to win 25-22.
The fourth set was close early before Chatham pulled away midway through the set. The score was tied 8-8 before the Cougars scored the next four points, and Chatham steadily pulled away for a 25-16 win to send the game to a fifth set.
The final set was a game of runs. Geneva jumped ahead 3-1 before Chatham scored the next five points. The Golden Tornadoes answered with five straight points to regain an 8-6 lead. A couple minutes later, sophomore Heather Seubert's ace gave Geneva the lead back, 11-10. However, the Cougars scored the final five points to win the match, 15-11.
Mummau and Veon led the offense with 16 kills apiece, though the women hit just .103 as a team, compared to .168 for Chatham. Peachey finished with 40 assists, while junior Zoe Pifer had a team-high 29 digs. Veon led the team with five blocks.
Geneva is off this weekend before the women try to rebound next Tuesday when they host Bethany at 7:00 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).
