WASHINGTON, Pa. – Five-set matches have not gone the Geneva College women's volleyball way this season. On Saturday at W&J, the Golden Tornadoes suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss to the Presidents in which the women were unable to convert five match points in the fifth set, losing 26-24, 17-25, 25-20, 23-25, 19-21, despite a huge match from junior Kami Mummau. Geneva lost its third straight and is now 9-10 overall, 2-4 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
In the first set, W&J jumped ahead to a big early lead, 15-7, before Geneva battled back. The Golden Tornadoes used an 8-2 run moments later to pull within 20-19. A minute later, kills from junior Megan Veon and freshman Katie Seboe pulled the women even at 22-22. After a President point, kills from Veon and senior Tess Neville got Geneva to set point, and sophomore Heather Seubert eventually finished off the comeback with an ace, 26-24.
The momentum did not carry over to the second set, though. W&J jumped ahead to a big 14-4 lead and Geneva could never recover, falling 25-17.
The third set followed a similar script, except it was Geneva who took control early. Back-to-back kills from Mummau gave the Golden Tornadoes an 18-8 advantage. Geneva got to set point, 24-14, on a kill from senior Destiny Pratt before the women had to hold off a late W&J rally. The Presidents scored six straight points before a kill from Mummau gave Geneva the set, 25-20.
The fourth set stayed tight the whole way. The first time any team led by more than two points was when kills from Mummau and Neville gave the Golden Tornadoes a 16-13 edge. W&J responded with 5-1 run to regain the lead, but the women answered with three straight points, with Mummau contributing a kill and a block, to give Geneva a 20-18 lead. However, the Presidents finished better, scoring the next three points and eventually holding on for a 25-23 win, with late Geneva service errors helping the W&J cause.
The fifth set was the backbreaker, with Geneva leading for much of the set. The Golden Tornadoes held a 10-7 edge before W&J scored four straight to take a brief lead. Geneva responded with four straight points, including back-to-back aces from Mummau, to get to match point, 14-11. The Golden Tornadoes couldn't get the elusive final point, though. W&J scored the next three points to pull even. Geneva had two more match points over the next several minutes, but it was W&J that came up with the key points late to win 21-19.
Mummau was huge all match, finishing with a career-high 26 kills. Veon added 14 kills and Neville 11 kills for the women. Senior Samantha Peachey finished with a career-high 54 assists. Junior Zoe Pifer led the team with 22 digs. The women finished with a .160 hitting percentage, compared to a .233 hitting percentage for W&J.
The women are now in a tough position if they want to qualify for the PAC postseason. Geneva has four matches left, and the Golden Tornadoes may need to win them all, starting with a match at Waynesburg on Wednesday.
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).
