CRESSON, Pa. – The Golden Tornadoes and head coach Alexis Ritson recorded their first win of the season on Tuesday evening, defeating Mount Aloysius College in three sets (25-12, 25-17, 25-15). The win was the first of Ritson's career as she takes the helm of the Geneva men's volleyball team in their first season in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. A well-rounded win for the GTs pushes their record to 1-1 on the young season, while Mount Aloysius falls to 1-2.

An error-riddled start for the Mounties allowed Geneva to build up a 5-1 lead at the outset of the match. Slowly but surely, Mount Aloysius began to make its way back and tied the score at 9-9. Play went back-and-forth over the next few minutes until the Golden Tornadoes, leading 11-10, took off on an 11-1 run highlighted by two kills each from junior Andrew Ubinger and sophomore Daniel Spear. The Mounties did score to end the run, but Geneva closed the set with three straight points, punctuated by an ace by freshman Matthew DeGraaf, to win the first set 25-12.

The second set started out a little more closely than the first had. After Mount Aloysius took an early 3-1 edge, neither side could create much separation, and Geneva led 12-11 midway through the frame. However, another run allowed the Golden Tornadoes to take command of the match, and two kills from junior Evan Puhl put the men in front 18-11. A Mount Aloysius timeout helped the home side to get their feet back under them, but they were not able to mount a comeback. DeGraaf ended the set with two more service aces, and Geneva won it 25-17.

After Mount Aloysius won the first point of the third set, the GTs took the next five thanks to two DeGraaf kills and another by Spear. The Mounties recovered and drew back within one point, 6-5, but the men outscored them 6-1 over the following stretch to fly in front 12-6. Play went back-and-forth for several points, but Mount Aloysius was not able to cut into the six-point deficit. Sophomore Owen Kelley struck two kills late to seal the deal for Geneva, and the Golden Tornadoes took set number three 25-15.

Kelley provided the men with a very efficient offensive performance, finishing the match with 11 kills on an incredible .529 hitting percentage. Ubinger was right behind him with 10 kills on a .364 percentage, registering three blocks in the win as well. Freshman setter Colton Alfaro led the team with 25 assists, and senior Joshua Sangrey highlighted the defense with ten digs. As a team, the men hit .426, the highest mark for a Golden Tornadoes team since March of 2023.

The men will play three more times this week, with matches against Penn State Behrend, Penn State Altoona, and Hilbert this weekend at a tri-match hosted by Behrend.

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).