ERIE, Pa. – The Geneva College men's volleyball team suffered a disappointing loss at Penn State Behrend on Saturday, its first loss in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) play, giving the Lions the upper hand for the top spot and hosting rights for the upcoming AMCC playoffs. Behrend won in four sets 25-23, 26-28, 25-22, 25-22. Geneva's record now stands at 15-14, 10-1 in the AMCC, while Behrend improved to 16-6, 11-1 in the AMCC.
The first set was the one that got away from the Golden Tornadoes. Behrend used a 5-1 run early to take a 12-8 before Geneva stormed back. An 8-2 run gave the Golden Tornadoes the lead back, 16-14, and Geneva eventually stretched its lead to 22-18. However, the Lions finished the set on a 7-1 run pull out a 25-23 win.
The second set followed a similar script. Behrend jumped ahead early before Geneva use an 8-1 run to take a 12-7 edge. The Golden Tornadoes extended their lead as high as 18-12 on a double from junior Emerson Spear and freshman Andrew Ubinger before the Lions rallied. Behrend scored the next four points and eventually got to set point, 24-23, before Geneva rallied late to pull out the set, 28-26, on a kill from junior Carter Milroy.
Behrend led almost the entire third set, stretching its lead as high as 22-17 before Geneva tried to rally late. Four straight Golden Tornado points pulled Geneva within one, but it wasn't enough as the Lions held on for a 25-22 victory.
The fourth set was tight early, with the team alternating points for most of the first several minutes. It was the Lions who put together a run, 5-1, midway through the set to take a 17-13 lead. Geneva scored the next three points to pull within one point, but Behrend pulled away over the final few minutes to finish off the match, 25-22.
Seniors Byron Spear and Jake Williams led the attack. Spear finished with 20 kills, while Williams was right behind with a career-high 19 kills. Geneva hit .179 as a team, compared to .229 for Behrend. One difference in the tight match was the blocking. The Golden Tornadoes managed just five blocks, while Behrend's block was more effective, totaling 12 blocks. Graduate student Curtis Thomas led the offense with 32 assists, while also finishing with a career-high 20 digs.
Behrend now controls the race for the top seed in the conference, needing to just defeat Hilbert in its final conference match of the season to secure home court advantage for the upcoming AMCC playoffs. Geneva has secured a bye for the first round, but the Golden Tornadoes will likely have to travel to Behrend for the playoffs for the second straight season. The men wrap up the regular season next week with a road match at Hiram on Wednesday and a home match against Hilbert on Saturday. The AMCC semifinals are scheduled for Friday, April 14, with the championship match on April 15.
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).
