LATROBE, Pa. – The Geneva College men's volleyball team dropped a pair of four-set matches to Hiram (21-25, 11-25, 25-20, 24-26) and Saint Vincent (21-25, 20-25, 27-25, 11-25) on Friday at Saint Vincent on the opening day of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Preview event.  The weekend showcases six of the programs that will make up next year's inaugural season of PAC men's volleyball.  Despite the losses, the young Golden Tornado squad showed some improvement throughout the day.
 
The first set of the evening against Hiram was a competitive one.  The Terriers led for the early part of the set before five straight Golden Tornado points behind three kills from sophomore Andrew Ubinger gave Geneva its first lead, 15-14.  Geneva still led 18-17 after a kill from senior Carter Milroy before Hiram scored the next four points on its way to a 25-21 win.
 
The second set got away from Geneva early, as Golden Tornado service and attack errors led to a 25-11 Hiram win.
 
The third set followed a similar script as the first set early on.  Hiram took the lead early, and Geneva didn't take its first edge until the Golden Tornadoes strung together a 4-1 run behind kills from Milroy and freshman Owen Kelley to grab a 14-13 advantage.  Then, late in the set with the score tied 17-17, Geneva scored the next six points, led by Milroy and Kelley who each had two kills, and Kelley finished off the set with a kill, 25-20.
 
The fourth set is the one that got away from Geneva.  After falling behind 10-5 early, the Golden Tornadoes stormed back.  Geneva scored seven straight points to turn a 17-14 deficit into a 21-17 advantage.  Kelley had a kill and two aces, and Milroy added two more kills in the run.  Geneva eventually got to set point, 24-21, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't get that elusive last point.  Hiram scored the final five points of the match to come back and win, 26-24.
 
Milroy had one of his best games as a Golden Tornado, equaling his career-high with 15 kills on a .393 hitting percentage, while adding a career-best 16 digs.  Kelley added 12 kills, while Ubinger finished with 11 kills and 10 digs.  As a team Geneva hit .113, compared to .172 for Hiram.  Junior Joshua Sangrey led the team with 22 digs, while junior Decker Milroy finished with 32 assists.
 
The second match of the night against the hosts Saint Vincent was tight for most of the first set.  Neither team could grab much of a lead, and Geneva was in position to win the set, leading 20-19, before the Bearcats strung together five straight points and eventually took the set, 25-21.
 
Early kills by Kelley, Ubinger and Carter Milroy allowed Geneva to grab an early 6-4 lead in the second set, but Saint Vincent slowly started to take control of the set, eventually grabbing a 19-13 advantage.  The Golden Tornadoes didn't give in, pulling within 20-18 on a double block from Carter and Decker Milroy, but the Bearcats closed out the set well, winning 25-20.
 
Geneva played better in the third set, eventually taking a 14-11 lead midway through the set.  The Bearcats answered with five straight points, but the Golden Tornadoes battled back to retake the lead, 21-19.  The set of runs continued, as Saint Vincent responded with a 5-1 stretch to get to match point, 24-22.  Geneva had the last run of the set, though.  The Golden Tornadoes scored the next three points to get to set point, and after a Bearcat point, Geneva scored the final two points to win 27-25.
 
The momentum from the third set victory didn't carry over to the fourth set.  Saint Vincent took control early and finished off the match with a 25-11 victory.
 
Carter Milroy again led the team with 13 kills while improving on his earlier career high in digs to finish with 20, while Kelley and Ubinger both reached double figures with 10 kills apiece.  As a team Geneva hit just .042, compared to .225 for Saint Vincent.  Decker Milroy finished with 32 assists, while Sangrey added 14 digs.  Freshman Peter Samuelsen led the team with four blocks.
 
The men will try to rebound on Saturday when they finish play at the PAC Preview with matches against Bethany, at 11:00 a.m., and Chatham, at 3:00 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).