BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Senior defensive specialist Zoe Pifer recorded the 1,000^th dig of her collegiate volleyball career on Tuesday, highlighting an impressive sweep for the Golden Tornadoes in the tri-match they hosted. The women swept both of their matches, beating Bethany 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-18) before taking down La Roche in three sets as well (25-15, 25-11, 25-22). The wins boost Geneva's record to 6-9 on the season with just two matches to go before beginning conference play.

After dropping the first point in the first set of the day against Bethany, Geneva rattled off six straight behind a couple of service aces from junior Heather Seubert to take a commanding lead at the outset. The Bison fought to get back into the set, but a couple of well-timed kills by senior Megan Veon kept the opposition at bay. After some back-and-forth play, Geneva went on another 5-0 run, highlighted by two more Seubert aces, to go in front 20-9. It was far too late in the set for Bethany to attempt a comeback, and the GTs took it 25-14.

Bethany took a narrow lead to start the second set, but a kill by junior Emily Nelson and an ace from graduate student Savannah Byers knotted the score at six. The visitors began to pull away again a few points later, but six straight points from the Golden Tornadoes gave Geneva a 14-11 advantage. Once again, Bethany rallied to hop back in front, 16-15, but it proved to be only briefly as Nelson used three kills and an ace to put the Bison to rest. The women won the set 25-20.

Sloppy play by the Bison allowed Geneva to gain the edge to start the third set, with a kill by sophomore Katie Seboe giving the GTs an 11-7 lead. A 7-1 run by the Golden Tornadoes just a few points later put the match virtually out of reach for Bethany, and Geneva won it handily by a final score of 25-18.

Veon had a team-high 14 kills on a .286 hitting percentage in the three-set win, followed up by Nelson who had ten kills of her own. Byers recorded a game-high 25 assists, and Seubert contributed 19 digs, five aces, and four assists for a well-rounded final stat line.

Geneva took its momentum from the first match and ran with it into the first set against La Roche. The women jumped out to a massive 14-2 lead to open the set, powered by six kills by Veon alone. La Roche calmed things down at that point, but the deficit was too great, and the GTs' lead was never less than seven points for the rest of the frame. The women took it convincingly, 25-15.

The second set began much more evenly, with each side getting a few nice kills early. Geneva created some separation as the set drew toward the midway point, using a 13-2 run to soar in front 18-7. The Golden Tornadoes were getting contributions from everyone in the attack, and the Redhawks just could not keep up. Geneva won the second set even more handily than the first, 25-11. Also during the second set, Pifer recorded her 1,000^th career dig, and she was briefly honored after Geneva won the point, receiving a game ball from head coach Wendy Smith.

The third and final set of the match proved to be the closest one Geneva played all day. The Red Hawks finally built up a little bit of a lead, gaining a 12-7 edge, but the women fought back to knot the score at 15 via a Nelson ace. Each side traded points for the next few minutes, with neither gaining much of an advantage until a little 3-0 run late put Geneva in front. La Roche could not manage a last-ditch effort, and the GTs took the third set 25-22, and the overall match three sets to none.

Again, Veon led the women offensively with 19 kills in the second match on a very impressive .333 hitting percentage. Byers tied her career-high with 36 assists in the victory, and Nelson had a solid night with ten kills and a game-high 16 digs. Pifer finished with nine kills of her own to go along with five digs. The women as a team hit .292 in the match, their second-best mark of the season.

The women play at home again this Friday, when their Homecoming match against Franciscan begins at 7:00 PM. After that, they'll have one more home match versus Wooster on Tuesday, October 1^st, before they hit the road again.

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).