Men’s Volleyball – From Vision to Reality

by Chris Mathews '00

One of the most successful Geneva College athletic programs so far this season is also its newest. The recently formed men’s volleyball program is doing very well, but that's not a surprise.

Head Coach Curt Conser, who coached in the women’s program for 16 of its seasons, always thought the strong men’s volleyball players among the student body would make a great varsity team. Three years ago, he stepped down from his position with the women’s program to focus on priorities back near his home in Ohio, including his club volleyball commitments. He didn’t know if he would ever jump back into the collegiate world again, and he wasn’t actively looking to get back into college coaching.

However, when Director of Athletics Van Zanic contacted Conser over a year ago to inquire about his interest in playing a role in starting a men’s program, the collegiate world became a possibility again. 

“When we really thought that men’s volleyball as an intercollegiate sport at Geneva would be a reality, I wanted to connect with Curt because I knew of his knowledge and passion for the game and his familiarity with Geneva,” Zanic recalls.

Conser knew Geneva and its commitment to growing student-athletes academically and spiritually in equal measure with athletic performance. His appreciation of honing faith in God first and then physical ability was vital to his coaching philosophy. 

Conser decided to apply to see if anything would come of it, and it did. Conser was offered the position, and after a few months of working to build up the roster, the Golden Tornadoes have gotten off to a strong start in their first season of varsity competition. Conser believed the men’s program could have success, even this season, but he didn’t know what to expect.

"When we really thought that men’s volleyball as an intercollegiate sport at Geneva was a reality, I wanted to connect with Curt because I knew of his knowledge and passion for the game and his familiarity with Geneva."
-Van Zanic, Geneva Athletic Director

“To be honest, I hadn’t seen a lot of our competition prior to this season, so I didn’t know what level of volleyball was being played by the other schools in our conference,” says Conser. “That said, if you had asked me prior to the season what our record would be at this point of the season, I probably would not have said 12-3.”

The men’s volleyball players Conser previously noticed developed a strong club program over the past few seasons, but four club starters from last year had graduated and moved on. Conser knew he couldn’t count on just the remaining members of that team to field a competitive varsity program.

Therefore, Conser went about building the program. Three big contributors from the club team were returning: senior Matt Peters, junior Quinn McCracken and sophomore Dan Townsend. Juniors Lincoln Mimidis and John Pillsbury were also holdovers from the club team and give the team depth. Incoming freshman Peter Barbato was familiar to several on the team, having played with both McCracken and Townsend at nearby Beaver County Christian School.  However, Conser knew this foundation was just the starting point.

An important addition for the program was sophomore Anthony Baronio, who decided late in the fall to transfer to Geneva at the beginning of the second semester in time for the start of the season. He is a vital member of this year’s team. Senior Spencer York, who couldn’t train much in the fall due to injuries, has also added value to the squad.

A significant moment for the Golden Tornadoes was their Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference victory over preseason favorite, Wittenberg University. It built confidence in the newly formed Geneva program that it could not only compete with, but also defeat, some of the best teams on its schedule.

“It is really exciting to see the way our guys have come together so quickly,” adds Zanic. “That is a true reflection of the impact Curt has quickly had on the program.”

As a coach, though, Conser always sees room for improvement. “I feel like we could be 14-1, but I also know we’re not that far away from being 5-10. Several of the matches we have played could have gone either way. There have been some times this year when we have been pretty good, and other times when we have not been very good. It’s a team goal to improve every day, and I know there still a lot of room to grow and get better.”

One thing Conser is grateful for is the support of the administration and the fans. That support has helped him deal with many of the unknowns that come from starting a program from scratch.

“It’s been fun, it’s been challenging, and it’s been stressful at times,” said Conser. “We have a good group of guys, though, and they’re fun to be around. As we’ve traveled to various places early on this season, one thing I’ve really appreciated about Geneva is the fan support we’ve been given, even as a first-year program. We believed we could become a good product on the court, and I think we’re on our way to that.” 

From the Geneva Blog:
Discovering the Soul of Leadership at Geneva College

by Jen Pelling

“This is not a social club.”

Every Tuesday night, CCO staff person Caleb Musselman stands in front of 100 Geneva College student-athletes at their weekly fellowship gathering and makes this announcement. His message is intentional, its repetition underlining the priorities of athlete ministry at Geneva College.

These students aren’t gathered to be entertained, or to talk about Jesus and hang out. Athlete ministry is designed for something more.

And this begins with choosing student leaders. More >>