AURORA, N.Y. – The Geneva College men's volleyball team picked up two wins at Wells on Saturday. The Golden Tornadoes won an easy match against the hosts (25-9, 25-9, 25-16) in the first match, and then the men had to go to five sets (25-27, 25-19, 25-23, 29-31, 15-9) to defeat SUNY Potsdam in the second match of the day. Geneva improved to 9-11 with the wins, with the Wells match improving Geneva's record in conference to a perfect 5-0.
A struggling Wells squad still looking for its first win of the season didn't give the Golden Tornadoes much of a match in the first game. Geneva jumped to leads of 11-1 and 13-2 in the first two sets, winning both by identical 25-9 scores. The third set wasn't much different, with the Golden Tornadoes opening the set with a 14-6 lead on the way to winning 25-16.
Seniors Jake Williams and Devin Goodgasell led the team with eight kills as Geneva hit .306 as a team. Wells hit -.123.
The second match of the day against Potsdam presented much stiffer competition against a Bears squad that had already faced five teams ranked in the top ten in Division III. Geneva played well early in the first set, with freshman Andrew Ubinger serving the Golden Tornadoes to five straight points in taking an early 6-2 edge. Three straight kills from Williams extended the margin to 10-4, and a kill from sophomore Decker Milroy several minutes later pushed the advantage to 21-14. The Golden Tornadoes managed to get to 24-20 before things fell apart. Potsdam scored four straight points, and after a Geneva point, the Bears finished with three straight points to steal the set away, 27-25.
Geneva came out strong in the second set, though, with junior Carter Milroy serving the Golden Tornadoes to a 9-1 lead. Potsdam managed to pull within two points multiple times later in the set, the last time coming at 18-16, but two kills from Decker Milroy sandwiched around an ace from junior Emerson Spear sent Geneva on to a 25-19 win.
The third set was a very even affair, with neither team leading by more than two points for most of the set. Potsdam used a three-point run to take a 21-19 lead late, but Ubinger provided a kill and an ace, along with a kill from senior Byron Spear, to allow Geneva to pull ahead 24-22. Potsdam answered with a point, but a setting error by the Bears gave Geneva the set, 25-23.
The fourth set proved to be another one that got away from the Golden Tornadoes. Geneva jumped ahead to a 15-9 lead before Potsdam used an 8-1 run to take a 17-16 lead. A block and kill from Byron Spear, along with a kill from Williams, appeared to regain control of the set for Geneva, with the Golden Tornadoes eventually getting to 24-20 again. However, just like the first set, Geneva couldn't close things out. Potsdam scored four straight points, and after the teams alternated points for several minutes, the Bears pulled out the set, 31-29, to send the match to a fifth set.
Byron and Emerson Spear each provided kills and blocks in an early six-point run in the fifth set to take an 8-3 lead. Potsdam battled back to pull within 10-9, but two kills from Williams kick-started a five-point Geneva run to finish off the match. The Golden Tornadoes finished the match with double blocks from Carter Milroy and Ubinger, followed by a double block from Carter and Decker Milroy, to win 15-9.
Byron Spear led the team with 17 kills, along with 13 digs. Williams added 15 kills and a team-high 14 digs. Carter Milroy also reached double figures with 10 kills, while finishing with a team-high nine blocks. Ubinger added eight kills and 13 digs. Decker Milroy ran the offense, finishing with a career-high 39 assists. Geneva hit .193 as a team, compared to Potsdam's .132 percentage, and the Golden Tornadoes finished with 16 blocks.
Geneva will be back in action on Wednesday when the Golden Tornadoes host Saint Vincent at 7:00 p.m. inside Metheny Fieldhouse.
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).
