BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva women's volleyball team battled all the way back from a 2-0 deficit versus Franciscan University Saturday morning, but the Golden Tornadoes could not complete the comeback in the end, falling in in five sets 11-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 17-19. After dropping the first two sets, the women showed incredible grit over the next three, refusing to go away and forcing the fifth set. It didn't go their way in the end, but it was a tremendous effort nonetheless. The Golden Tornadoes' record falls to 4-15 overall on the season, 1-5 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). Franciscan moves up to 7-7 overall, an even 3-3 in PAC play.

Things didn't look pretty for the GTs at the outset of the match, with Franciscan using a 16-2 run to jump way in front in set one. The Barons took the set 25-11, and then used another run midway through the second set to take a 16-10 lead. Geneva battled back, using a block by senior Emily Nelson and junior Daphne Alexander to pull within two points, 18-16. The Golden Tornadoes kept the deficit to two points for the next few minutes but were not able to pull even, dropping the second set 25-21.

Geneva turned things around right at the start of set three. Nelson recorded three early kills to put Geneva up 8-1, but then it was the Barons turn to narrow the gap. They brought the deficit all the way down to two points before the Golden Tornadoes scored four times in a row behind two kills by junior Katie Seboe to take an 18-12 lead. Franciscan made the set close in the end, drawing within one point, 24-23, but freshman Rachel Baird ended it with a kill to give the GTs the set win.

Franciscan ran out to an 8-4 advantage in the fourth set, but Geneva wouldn't go away. A dominant 6-2 run by the women, headed up by Nelson and Alexander, gave them the lead midway through, but the Barons responded with five consecutive points of their own. Once again, the GTs did not break, with Seboe getting a couple of kills to keep them in it. Two straight aces from freshman Julia McChesney gave the women a 20-18 edge, but again, the visitors stormed back to go ahead 23-20. Geneva won the ensuing point on a service error, and then another on a kill by senior Abigail Glumac. On the service line, Nelson came through, winning the final three points of the set on aces to help Geneva take it 25-23.

The Barons again came out in front to start set five, but three early kills by Alexander knotted the score at six apiece. The teams went back-and-forth over the next few minutes, but Geneva could not take the lead. Down 15-14, on a decisive match point, Geneva won the point on a Franciscan service error, and another ace by Nelson put the women in position to win. Unfortunately, Franciscan took four of the next five points, and the Barons won the fifth and final set 19-17.

Nelson posted 18 kills in the win to lead the team offensively, notching 18 digs and five aces as well. Sophomore Laura Goonewardene was in excellent form as Geneva's setter, finishing the match with a career-best 53 assists to go with 11 digs. Alexander put together a nice effort, grabbing 17 kills on a .351 hitting percentage, and senior Heather Seubert recorded a match-best 27 digs. McChesney posted six aces in the loss.

The Golden Tornadoes remain at home for their next contest, a 7:00 p.m. match against Hiram on Wednesday, October 8^th.

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).