BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Sophomore Braiden Smalley pulled out a hard-fought victory in No. 1 singles in the Geneva College men's tennis match against Franciscan on Friday afternoon, a highlight for the Golden Tornadoes in their 7-2 loss to the Barons.  Geneva dropped to 6-3, 3-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).

Franciscan took command of the match by winning all three doubles matches by scores of 8-3, 8-1 and 8-4.

Smalley earned Geneva's first point with a three-set victory in No. 1 singles 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4, coming back to win after dropping the first set.  Senior Nick Heidengren also pulled out a tough win in No. 6 singles 6-4, 7-6(2).  Sophomore Owen Landis had a battle in No. 4 singles before succumbing in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 5-10.

"Franciscan brought a solid lineup from top to bottom," said Head Coach Mandee Craft.  "We battled hard in singles, and Braiden got a hard-fought win.  We'll need to turn it around tomorrow for another big PAC contest."

Geneva gets right back on the court tomorrow with a 2:00 p.m. match against W&J on Blackhawk Courts.  The men will honor their four seniors, Heidengren, Joshua Bout, Jadon Hooke and Stone Seip, prior to the 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).