ERIE, Pa. – The Geneva College men's volleyball team's Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Semifinal match against Thiel on Friday evening got off to a bad start, but the Golden Tornadoes finished well to advance to the AMCC Championship match. Geneva rebounded from an ugly first set to defeat the Tomcats 16-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-22. The Golden Tornadoes improved to 18-14 overall and will face Penn State Behrend tomorrow afternoon for the conference title.
The first set was one of the poorest sets of the year for the Golden Tornadoes. The Tomcats used an early 8-2 run to take a 10-3 advantage, and Geneva showed little signs of life as Thiel easily took the set, 25-16. Geneva hit a -.083 in the set, with six kills and nine errors.
The second set didn't start much better. Three straight Geneva attack errors saw the Tomcats jump ahead early again, 7-3. A kill from senior Byron Spear got the Golden Tornadoes going, finally, and a few minutes later a kill from senior Jake Williams evened the set at 11-11. After a Tomcat point, kills from Byron and junior Emerson Spear gave the Golden Tornadoes a slim lead. A couple minutes later, Thiel put together a three-point run to retake the lead, 19-18. Geneva closed well, though. Emerson Spear answered with a kill, followed by a double block from Emerson Spear and freshman Andrew Ubinger. The Tomcats responded with a point to even the set at 20-20 before the Golden Tornadoes closed the set with five straight points. Geneva hit .250 in the set.
The Golden Tornadoes carried that run into the third set, scoring the first four points before Thiel battled back to even things at 8-8. The teams alternated the next 15 points before a three-point run by the Tomcats gave Thiel its first lead of the set, 18-16. Kills from Williams and Byron Spear pulled Geneva level, but the Tomcats responded with another three-point run to take their biggest lead of the set, 21-18. However, just as in the second set, Geneva finished the set well. A kill from Ubinger and back-to-back kills from Byron Spear pulled the Golden Tornadoes level. After a Tomcat point, a kill from junior Carter Milroy and a double block from Carter and sophomore Decker Milroy got Geneva to set point. Thiel pulled even at 24-24 with a point, but a Tomcat service error and an ace from Carter Milroy gave Geneva the comeback win, 26-24. Geneva hit .275 in the set.
The fourth set was the only set where the Golden Tornadoes led for most of the set, but the win didn't come easily. Geneva used a three-point run, the last two coming on kills from Byron and Emerson Spear, to take a 10-8 lead. A moment later, Williams served the Golden Tornadoes to five straight points, contributing an ace and a kill in the run, to extend the Geneva lead to 16-10. The Golden Tornadoes still led 21-15 after a kill from Williams before Thiel had one last push. The Tomcats pulled within 23-21, but a kill from Williams got Geneva to match point, and then after a Thiel point, a Tomcat service error finished off the match, 25-22. The Golden Tornadoes hit .297 in the final set.
Williams and Byron Spear, the two senior leaders all year, led the Golden Tornadoes to victory again. Spear finished with 17 kills on a .273 hitting percentage, while Williams was right behind with 15 kills on a .257 hitting percentage. Carter Milroy added eight kills, while Emerson Spear chipped in with seven kills. As a team Geneva hit .186, compared to Thiel's .206.
Graduate student Curtis Thomas and Decker Milroy split the setting duties well, with Thomas finishing with 24 assists and Milroy 22 assists. Geneva's block never really proved effective, finishing with just four blocks. Sophomore Joshua Sangrey led the team with 16 digs, while Byron Spear added 14 digs.
The win sets up a rematch of last season's AMCC Championship, which Behrend won in four sets. The championship match is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. in Behrend's gym.
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).
