BEAVER FALLS, PA - All the Geneva College community will be celebrating homecoming this weekend and the women’s volleyball team will be able to celebrate with them. The team has a rare open weekend and, riding a 14-match winning streak, the team has reason to celebrate.
The 14-match streak is the fifth longest in Geneva’s 126 year history – the softball team won 15 straight in 2003 and the men’s basketball team won 19 straight in 1992-93, 16 straight in 1955-56, and 15 straight in 1993-94 – but the most impressive aspect of the streak has been the collective effort that created it. In the 14-match streak, Geneva has dropped just one set – to Bethany on September 9.
“We are thrilled to be out to such a strong start,” said co-head coach Wendy Smith.
Our athletes have trained hard to be ready to compete. We believe we have dropped only one set by playing physical, smart, and consistent.”
Geneva is one of two teams in the 10-team Presidents’ Athletic Conference to remain unbeaten but only one Geneva player has been recognized as a conference player of the week – junior Olivia Test (Negley, OH/Heartland Christian) on September 14. Test, was also second team All-PAC last year, leads the conference in hitting percentage, but she is joined by four other teammates in the top 10.
Sophomore Erica Hughes (North Jackson, OH/Jackson Milton), who was a first-team All-PAC performer last year as a freshman, is sixth in hitting percentage and is second in kills in the PAC.
Senior Rachel Netherland (Aliquippa, PA/Central Valley) is seventh in the PAC in hitting percentage and was selected as Geneva’s female student-athlete of week on September 21. Junior Grace Hayes (Westminster, MD/Westminster) is ninth in hitting percentage and sophomore Marissa Naples (Cortland, OH/Lakeview) is 10th.
In addition, freshman Rachel Tuck (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock Secondary School) leads the PAC in service aces per set. With six players on the court at one time, six players among the conference leaders explains a lot of Geneva’s success.
Smith said, “Our team has offensive threats at every position and a strong core of defensive players who put us in a position, match after match, to find that offense.”
The 2015-2016 success actually had its roots in the ending of the 2014-2015 season as the Golden Tornadoes were the 2014 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region Champions.
Geneva’s season resumes Tuesday at home against arch-rival Westminster. The other unbeaten team in the conference – Thomas More – will visit Geneva on October 10. Fittingly, the Thomas More contest could be the match when Geneva would be looking to tie the school record for consecutive wins at 19.
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