WOOSTER, Ohio – Women's volleyball went an even 1-1 on the first day of Wooster's Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic, with both matches lasting four sets. The Golden Tornadoes lost a tough contest to Hiram (21-25, 20-25, 25-21, 13-25) in their opening match of the tournament before taking the victory over Oberlin (25-20, 25-13, 26-28, 25-23) later in the day. Heading into the second day of the tournament, the women's record stands at 3-8 on the season.

The women began their first set of the day by opening up a slim lead over the Terriers, with an ace from senior Megan Veon putting them in front 6-4.  Hiram responded with five straight points and took a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the set. Geneva came close to drawing equal a couple of times, pulling within 15-14 at one point, but despite a late rally led by a couple of kills from junior Emily Nelson the Golden Tornadoes could not pull back in front, losing the first set 25-21.

Neither side could gain much separation from the other to start the second set. In fact, the first two-point lead did not come until almost halfway through the set when Hiram went up 14-12. Sophomores Daphne Alexander and Katie Seboe each had a couple of kills down the stretch for the GTs to keep the women within striking distance, but the Terriers maintained their lead and won the set 25-20.

Down two sets to none, the Golden Tornadoes responded powerfully in the third frame of action. After going down 9-6, the women rallied behind the serve of junior Heather Seubert for 13 straight points to take a 19-9 lead, a run in which Seubert recorded four aces. Hiram made it interesting by pulling back within four points late in the set, but the women were able to see it through and win the set 25-21.

Unfortunately for the GTs, their momentum left them in the fourth set, which saw Hiram charge out to a 5-1 lead and never look back. Senior Zoe Pifer recorded three kills the frame, a lone bright spot in a set which the women dropped 25-13.

Veon led the team in kills against Hiram with 13, and close behind her was Nelson with 12. Graduate student Savannah Byers had a career-high 26 assists, and Seubert posted a game-high 17 digs. Seboe had a solid performance too, contributing 5 blocks as well as 5 kills on a .364 hitting percentage.

The Golden Tornadoes faced off against Oberlin in their second match of the day and got out to an early 9-6 lead courtesy of a few nice kills by Veon. Oberlin worked all the way back to tie the score at 12 apiece, but an 8-2 Geneva run helped the women regain a strong advantage as the end of the set drew near. The Yeowomen kept it fairly close down the stretch, but the GTs rode out the set for a 25-20 win.

Oberlin took an 8-6 lead to start the second frame, but three Pifer aces gave the GTs the momentum midway through the set. The two sides traded points back and forth for a few minutes, but a decisive ten-point run put the women far in front. They took the set 25-13.

The Golden Tornadoes went in front 11-7 early in the third set, but Oberlin rattled off eight straight points to gain an advantage. A 5-0 Geneva run just a few minutes later swung the scoreboard back in the GTs' favor, 20-18, but the Yeowomen would not go down without a fight. The two teams battled back-and-forth over the next several points, with Oberlin eking out the win in the end 28-26.

Geneva took the set loss and entered the fourth set with renewed vigor, soaring out to a 7-2 advantage. Again, Oberlin was able to respond, and the Yeowomen came all the way back, even taking an 18-13 lead at one point. Not wanting to go to a fifth set, the Golden Tornadoes rallied, and traded blows with Oberlin before grabbing a slim lead late in the set. Finally, after a couple of long rallies, the women were able to win the set 25-23, and the overall match three sets to one.

Again, Veon led the GTs offensively, posting an impressive 23 kills on a .304 hitting percentage, and just a few hours after setting a personal-best, Byers blasted her previously recorded career-high out of the water with 36 assists. Nelson contributed a team-high 18 digs and five aces in the win.

The Golden Tornadoes will play Kalamazoo College tomorrow morning on the final day of the Classic before returning to Beaver Falls for their home opener against Mount Aloysius on Tuesday, September 17. Tomorrow's match is set to begin at 10:30 AM.

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).