BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva women's tennis team concluded their regular season with a big Senior Day victory over Westminster College Thursday evening, defeating the Titans 5-1. The win solidified Geneva's position as the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) playoff tournament, lining them up to face No. 4 seed Franciscan University in the first round. Geneva ends the regular season with an overall record of 6-5, 4-4 in PAC play, while Westminster is now 3-8 overall, 3-5 in the PAC.
Things began well for the Golden Tornadoes in doubles play, with junior
Chloe DeSanzo and senior
Rachel Hodsden taking the No. 1 doubles match 6-4. Sophomore
Abigail Anderson and senior
Caroline Reed came together to win the No. 3 doubles match for Geneva as well, clinching the doubles point for the GTs.
DeSanzo kept things rolling for Geneva to start singles action, winning the top flight match with ease, 6-1, 6-0. Anderson followed that up with a 7-6, 6-0 win in No. 2 singles, playing in the second slot for the first time in her collegiate career. Sophomore
Paige Phillips and senior
Paris Silverstein also won in No. 4 and No. 5 singles, respectively, with Phillips taking her match 6-4, 6-4, and Silverstein winning 7-5, 6-2. Senior
Julia Grove was up a set in the sixth singles slot as well before her match was called off due to rain.
Following the contest, Geneva's five seniors were honored for their contributions to the program. Hodsden, Reed, Silverstein, Grove, and
Emma Kline were all acknowledged for their commitment to the team and their dedication to the sport. The class will leave head coach
Nate Heidengren and the rest of the team with big holes to fill in the lineup next season.
"It was a great win for senior night," Heidengren said afterward. "Everyone battled really hard and it was great to see wins from a lot of the ladies – everyone got a win either in doubles, singles, or both. Chloe got her final win to go undefeated in the conference, which hopefully solidifies her spot as conference player of the year. It was so amazing to see all the support from families and friends and Geneva staff members, and we're excited for playoffs next week!"
The Golden Tornadoes will await their official match date and time until the PAC announces the tournament schedule. In the meantime, preparation for a first-round matchup with Franciscan will begin.
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).
