BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Saturday proved to be a special day for the Geneva College women's volleyball team, and not just because the Golden Tornadoes swept visiting Grove City 25-17, 25-20, 25-21 in the final non-conference match of the season. Both programs also honored those struggling with blood cancer, including two of their own in Geneva senior Savannah Byers (Hodgkin's Lymphoma) and Grove City Head Coach Leo Sayles (myeloma). The women's program used the day as a fundraiser, with all proceeds going to the Pittsburgh Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a part of Blood Cancer Awareness Month.
The day began with a pregame ceremony honoring Byers and Sayles for the inspiration they have been to their programs while battling recently diagnosed blood cancers. After the ceremony, the two squads got down to volleyball, where Grove City came in as the hottest team in the conference so far this year.
Geneva jumped ahead early in set one, 6-1, behind two aces and a kill from senior Samantha Peachey. An ace from freshman Katie Seboe helped the women extend their lead to 11-4 a few minutes later. Grove City rallied, though, pulling within 14-12 midway through the set. A kill from junior Kami Mummau followed, and after a Wolverine error, Seboe added a kill to give the Golden Tornadoes some cushion. Geneva never let Grove City back into the set from there, with senior Tess Neville finishing off the set with a kill, 25-17.
It was Grove City who jumped ahead early in set two, 7-2, with several Geneva attack errors contributing to the Wolverine lead. Grove City pushed its lead as high as 9-3 before the Golden Tornadoes rallied. Back-to-back kills from Mummau were part of a four-point run to pull Geneva within two, and then with Grove City holding an 11-8 edge, the Golden Tornadoes reeled off six straight points to take a 14-11 edge. Junior Megan Veon started the run with a kill, followed by kills from Seboe and Neville, then back-to-back aces from Mummau, and finished off with another kill from Seboe. Back-to-back kills from Mummau a couple minutes later extended the Geneva edge to 22-16. Grove City scored the next three points, but the women held off a Wolverine rally, with a kill from Veon finishing off the set, 25-20.
Geneva used a five-point run early in the third set to take a 9-3 advantage. Seboe had a kill and an ace, while Veon had back-to-back kills in the stretch. An ace from Mummau midway through the set extended the Golden Tornado lead to 16-9 before Grove City responded with a 7-1 run to pull within 17-16. Neville answered with a kill, followed by an ace from Emily Nelson, but the Wolverines kept threatening, pulling back within one point, 20-19. Nelson delivered a key back-row kill out of system that helped stabilize Geneva. Junior Zoe Pifer followed with an ace. Two kills from Mummau helped the Golden Tornadoes get to match point, 24-21, and a Wolverine error finished off the match, 25-21.
Mummau led the team with ten kills, while Veon added nine kills on an impressive .429 hitting percentage. Neville contributed seven kills in another balanced attack, with the Golden Tornadoes finishing with a .198 hitting percentage. Peachey led the team with 26 assists, while Pifer led the team with 11 digs. Seboe had a team-best three blocks.
"I'm just really proud of this day, and not just because of the win," said Head Coach Wendy Smith. "This day was about so much more than just volleyball, but volleyball is a good reason to honor two really great people in Savannah and Leo who have been such a great example of how to battle through adversity and yet persevere in the midst of trials."
The win improved Geneva's record to 7-6, while Grove City fell to 14-5 as both teams prepare for conference play starting next week. The Golden Tornadoes open with a home match against Saint Vincent on Wednesday at 7:00 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).
