MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Geneva College women's volleyball appeared to be in full control of its match at Allegheny on Saturday, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't convert on match point and saw the Gators storm back for a five-set victory 16-25, 19-25, 26-24, 25-12, 15-10. The loss snaps Geneva's three-game winning streak, though the loss does not count in the conference standings. Geneva dropped to 6-5 with the loss.
The women came into the match playing their best volleyball of the season, and despite some early struggles that saw Allegheny jump ahead 6-1, the Golden Tornadoes continued their impressive recent play. Geneva responded to the early deficit by scoring seven straight points. Junior Megan Veon had two kills, senior Tess Neville and freshman Katie Seboe had kills, and junior Kami Mummau had two aces in the run. The two teams traded points over the next several minute until, tied at 16-16, Geneva took over. The Golden Tornadoes scored the final nine points of the set. Seboe had two kills in the stretch, and senior Samantha Peachey finished off the set with an ace, 25-16.
Geneva never trailed in the second set. After Allegheny pulled even at 6-6 early, the Golden Tornadoes scored four straight points, with senior Destiny Pratt contributing a kill and Neville an ace. The Gators pulled level one more tie, 13-13, but six straight Geneva points gave the Golden Tornadoes a 19-13 edge. Mummau had two more aces and Veon another kill in the stretch. The Gators answered back with a run to pull within 19-17, but kills from Mummau and Neville gave Geneva the momentum back and a kill from Peachey gave the Golden Tornadoes a 2-0 lead, 25-19.
Two more kills from Mummau and two aces from Peachey gave Geneva a quick 4-1 lead in the third set. Allegheny hung close early, though, and the set was tied multiple times midway through the set. Geneva had a slim lead late, 19-18, when two kills from Seboe and another ace from Mummau helped the Golden Tornados extend their margin to 23-19. Two points later, a kill from Veon got the women to match point, 24-21. However, Geneva couldn't finish off the match. The Gators scored the final five points of the set to steal the set away, 26-24, and the Golden Tornadoes never could bounce back.
The women did take a brief 5-3 lead early in the fourth set before Allegheny reeled off eight straight points, and Geneva couldn't recover, falling 25-12 to even the match at two sets apiece.
The fifth set went poorly as well. The score was tied 2-2 when the Gators followed with a 7-1 run, and Allegheny closed out the comeback win in the fifth set, 15-10.
The women were led offensively by Mummau's 15 kills and five aces. Neville and Veon each had 10 kills, though the women had no answer for Allegheny's Dagney Javes, who spearheaded the comeback with 24 kills. Seboe added nine kills for the ladies. Allegheny finished with a better hitting percentage at .196 to .162, with the Gators playing especially well over the final three sets, hitting .309.
Peachey finished with a career-high 43 assists, while adding 12 digs. Junior Zoe Pifer led the team with 25 digs, while freshman Maddie Hall added 16 digs. Geneva managed just two blocks in the match.
The women will try to bounce back from the frustrating loss when they travel to Westminster on Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m contest. Geneva doesn't open conference play until October 4, when the Golden Tornadoes host Saint Vincent for a 7:00 p.m. 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).
