BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College women's volleyball team got Homecoming off to a great start on Friday night by defeating a Franciscan team that came into the match on an eight-game winning streak.  The Golden Tornadoes secured the victory in front of a big Homecoming crowd inside Metheny Fieldhouse in four sets (24-26, 29-27, 25-22, 25-11).  Geneva has now won four straight matches and improved to 7-9 on the season, while Franciscan dropped to 8-3. 

Geneva opened the match with two double blocks from senior Megan Veon and sophomore Katie Seboe, sandwiched around a kill from senior Zoe Pifer.  The women stretched their lead to 7-4 behind two kills from Veon and a kill from junior Emily Nelson before the Barons scored five straight points as part of a 7-1 run.  Franciscan eventually stretched its lead to 16-11 before the Golden Tornadoes rallied.  Geneva put together a four-point run behind a kill from Veon and a double block from Seboe and Nelson to give the Golden Tornadoes the lead back, 23-21, and Geneva got to set point, 24-23, before Franciscan scored the last three points to take the set, 26-24.

The second set stayed close early before the Golden Tornadoes put together a 7-1 run midway through to grab a 15-11 edge.  Veon and Nelson added kills, while sophomore Daphne Alexander added an ace.  The women eventually stretched their advantage to 23-16 and appeared ready to even the match, but Geneva began to struggle with their serve-receive, allowing the Barons to storm back.  Franciscan put together a 9-1 run to get all the way to set point, 25-24.  Geneva rallied, though, as the set appeared to be slipping away again.  A kill from Seboe and a double block from Seboe and Nelson gave Geneva the lead back, and after the Barons answered with two straight points to get to set point again, the Golden Tornadoes scored the final three points, the last on a kill from Veon, to win another long set, 29-27.  After two sets, Veon had 15 kills already.

Four more kills from Veon early in set three enabled Geneva to jump out to a 9-5 advantage.  Franciscan quickly rallied, though, pulling even at 11-11.  The Golden Tornadoes answered right back, though, putting together a 7-2 run to take an 18-13 lead.  Seboe had back-to-back kills in the stretch.  However, as the match had seemingly gone all night, the Barons quickly responded with five straight points to pull even at 18-18.  Geneva never let Franciscan retake the lead, though, and another kill from Veon, followed by an ace from junior Evelyn Stroup, enabled the women to close out the set, 25-22, the final point coming on a kill from Seboe.

After three tight and grueling sets, Geneva ran away with the fourth set.  An ace from Alexander and a double block from Nelson and Seboe got the women off to a good start, and after Franciscan pulled within 6-5, nine straight points behind the serving of junior Heather Seubert put Geneva ahead 15-5.  Veon added two more kills, while Alexander and Pifer each contributed a kill and a block.  There were no more comebacks from the Barons this time, and Nelson eventually finished off the match with a kill, 25-11.

Veon tied her career high in kills with 24, while Nelson added 16 kills in the attack.  Geneva's block was also effective, totaling 11, with Seboe leading the team with six block assists.  Pifer finished with a season-high 26 digs, while Seubert finished with 25 digs and Nelson 17 digs.  Graduate student Savannah Byers directed the offense with 39 assists, while also adding 10 digs.  Alexander led the team with four aces.

Geneva will wrap up its five-match homestand on Tuesday when the women host Wooster at 7:00 p.m.  The Golden Tornadoes will then begin conference play with a road match at Allegheny next Friday at 6:00 p.m.