WAYNESBURG, Pa. – It didn't come easily, but the Geneva College volleyball team finally won a five-set match on Wednesday night at Waynesburg. The Golden Tornadoes had lost their first five five-set matches of the season, but Geneva prevailed 25-18, 20-25, 23-25, 25-12, 16-14 against the Yellow Jackets. The win gives the women a 10-10 overall record, 3-4 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).
Geneva led the entire first set. The women jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead behind kills from senior Tess Neville and juniors Kami Mummau and Megan Veon. The trio would be key all night. A few minutes later, the Golden Tornadoes used a 13-3 run, including three kills apiece from Neville and Veon, along with aces from Mummau and senior Samantha Peachey, to take a commanding 21-9 lead. The win didn't come easily, though, after Waynesburg answered with a 9-1 run to pull within 22-18, but a kill from Peachey and back-to-back aces from junior Zoe Pifer gave Geneva the set, 25-18.
Geneva was the better team early in the second set as well, jumping out to a 10-4 lead. Veon had two kills, along with kills from Mummau and Neville, in the early stretch. However, Waynesburg again had a big answer, this one a 12-1 run to grab a 16-11 lead. Geneva never got closer than three points the rest of the set, falling 25-20.
Geneva again jumped ahead quickly in the third set, this time 4-1 behind a kill and an ace from Mummau and a kill from Neville. A couple minutes later, kills from Neville and senior Destiny Pratt, along with a double block from Peachey and Pratt, pushed the lead to 10-4. After a Yellow Jacket point, a kill from sophomore Emily Nelson, followed by an ace from Pifer and a Waynesburg error, extended the Geneva edge to a seemingly comfortable 13-5 advantage. However, just like in the first two sets, Waynesburg had another big run in the middle of things. The Yellows Jackets answered with a 10-2 stretch to pull even. Geneva pushed the lead back to 19-16 after kills from Neville and Mummau, but the women couldn't finish the set off. Waynesburg responded with a 7-2 run to retake the lead, eventually winning the set 25-23.
As was the pattern in each of the first three sets, Geneva again jumped out to an early lead by scoring the first five points in set four. Mummau had back-to-back kills and Peachey back-to-back aces early on. Waynesburg pulled within 9-7, but the Golden Tornadoes dominated the rest of the set. Geneva finished the set on a 16-5 run. Mummau had five kills, Peachey three kills and Neville two kills in the stretch, giving the women an easy 25-12 win.
The fifth set was the only set of the match that stayed tight the whole way. Two kills from Mummau gave Geneva a 7-5 lead, but Waynesburg answered with four points to take the lead. The Golden Tornadoes responded with four straight points to retake the lead, but three straight Yellow Jacket points gave Waynesburg a 12-11 edge. The teams alternated the next three points before a block from Veon gave Geneva match point, 14-13. A Geneva service error allowed Waynesburg to pull even, but the women finished off the match with kills from Veon and Peachey to win 16-14.
Geneva was the better team in many categories, getting a very balanced offensive attack. Neville led the team with 18 kills, on a .438 hitting percentage, Mummau added 17 kills, while Veon finished with 16 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Geneva outhit Waynesburg .186 to .100 and had 63 kills compared to 42 kills from the Yellow Jackets. Peachey had a huge game with 51 assists, 15 digs, five kills and four aces. Pifer led the team with 27 digs, Nelson added 26 digs, sophomore Heather Seubert came up with 15 digs and Mummau 14 digs for the Golden Tornadoes.
Geneva has three remaining regular season games left, and the women will need to win at least two of the matches to have a chance at the postseason. If the Golden Tornadoes win all three matches, they will be guaranteed a spot in the PAC playoffs. Up first is a home match on Friday against Allegheny at 7:00 p.m. Geneva will celebrate its five seniors, Savannah Byers, Heather Cendrowski, Tess Neville, Samantha Peachey and Destiny Pratt, prior to the match.
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).
