Box Score BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Geneva College women's volleyball team dropped a five-set match to Kalamazoo on the opening night of the Bluffton Sommer Spiketacular, falling 18-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-22, 10-15. Geneva's record now stands at 3-3 overall.
The first set went back and forth early, with freshman Katie Seboe delivering back-to-back aces to give Geneva a 9-8 lead. However, Kalamazoo responded with a 10-3 run to grab an 18-12 edge, and the Golden Tornadoes never got closer than four points the rest of the way in falling, 25-18.
Kalamazoo jumped ahead 4-1 in the second set before Geneva responded with a 5-1 run to take a 6-5 advantage after an ace from junior Zoe Pifer. A couple minutes later, a kill from sophomore Emily Nelson and an ace from Samantha Peachey extended the Geneva edge to 10-6. Kalamazoo had a big answer, though, in the form of nine straight points to pull ahead 15-10. However, senior Destiny Pratt helped Geneva respond, and after two blocks and a kill from Pratt, the Golden Tornadoes regained the lead, 19-18. A moment later, a kill from junior Megan Veon and an ace from Peachey brought Geneva to set point, and the Golden Tornadoes took the set, 25-23, on a Kalamazoo error.
Geneva scored the first six points of the third set behind two kills and a block from Pratt, and the Golden Tornadoes extended the edge to 8-1 after an ace from Nelson. Kalamazoo pulled within 10-8 a couple minutes later, but the Golden Tornadoes looked to be in good shape after another block from Pratt gave Geneva an 18-12 lead. However, things fell apart the rest of the set. Kalamazoo scored the next six points, and Geneva could never regain control. The Hornets finished the set on a 13-3 run to win, 25-21.
Kalamazoo led early in the fourth set before Geneva pulled even at 10-10 on a kill from senior Savannah Byers. An ace from junior Kennedi Stockey gave the Golden Tornadoes a brief 12-11 advantage before Kalamazoo scored the next four points. Geneva responded with a run to pull even on a block from Pratt, 16-16, and back-to-back kills from senior Tess Neville gave the Golden Tornadoes a 20-19 edge. Kills from Veon and Neville followed to extend the lead to 22-19, and after the Hornets pulled within 23-22, a kill from Neville and a Kalamazoo service error sent the match to a fifth set, 25-22.
In the final set, with the score tied at 5-5, Kalamazoo scored the next three points, and Geneva could never recover. The Golden Tornadoes pulled within 12-10, but the Hornets scored the final three points to win, 15-10.
Stats were kept manually in the match, so the final stats are not yet available. Pratt and Nelson had strong matches to lead the offense, though Geneva was missing its leader in kills on the year, junior Kami Mummau, who was under the weather.
The women will be right back in action tomorrow. Geneva will face Olivet at 12:00 p.m., followed by a match with the hosts, Bluffton, at 2:00 p.m.
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).
