BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva men's volleyball team kept things very close with Saint Vincent on Friday night, hanging with the Bearcats through the first three sets, but the visitors put together an impressive fourth set to hand the GTs the loss (21-25, 25-18, 27-29, 16-25). Despite their best efforts, the men could not bring an end to Saint Vincent's eight-match win streak, and Geneva's record now stands at 7-13 (1-4) as a result.

There was not much to separate the two sides in the early goings of the first set, with neither team gaining more than a two-point edge until back-to-back blocks featuring sophomore Matthew DeGraaf, senior Evan Puhl, and junior Daniel Spear put the men in front 13-10. Saint Vincent utilized a 5-1 run later in the frame to take an 18-17 lead, and Geneva could not regain the advantage after that as the visitors won the set 25-21.

The Golden Tornadoes came out with a vengeance in set two. A solo block from DeGraaf gave them an early 4-1 lead, which extended to 7-4 after DeGraaf recorded a well-placed kill. Four straight Saint Vincent points put the Bearcats back in it, but the men refused to let them take more than a one-point lead. Junior Alex Smith checked into serve with Geneva leading 16-15 and led the GTs to five consecutive points as the visitors struggled to handle the ball. Geneva coasted the rest of the way for a 25-18 set victory.

Set three proved to be the deciding frame of the match. Freshman Joshua Stowe recorded three kills early on to help the men jump out to a big 9-3 advantage, and the Golden Tornadoes maintained their distance in taking a 20-14 lead later in the set. Unfortunately, things began to unravel for Geneva at that point, and Saint Vincent closed the set on a 15-7 run, winning a very close contest 29-27.

The Bearcats momentum carried over into the fourth set, with the visitors seizing a 14-9 lead midway through the frame and carrying it through to the end to win 25-16.

Junior Owen Kelley tied for the team lead with 12 kills, getting 11 digs as well to secure the double-double. Stowe also had 12 kills in the loss, a career-high, serving up four aces and blocking three attacks in addition. DeGraaf finished with nine kills on .316 hitting, getting four blocks, and senior Andrew Ubinger dished out a career-high 41 assists. Spear recorded six blocks to lead the team defensively.

The men head to West Virginia on Tuesday, March 3 for their next match, a 6:00 p.m. contest with Bethany.

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).