Geneva opened conference play with a 3-2 win over visiting Lakeside in a Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division thriller on Thursday.
The Eagles beat the defending conference champions, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-5.
“It was great,” said Geneva coach Annah Haeseler. “I think this one meant a lot to them to come out strong and battle for it a little bit.”
Geneva, who improved to 3-7 on the year, has matched up with several dominant offenses this season.
Against Lakeside, the Eagles met their match on the defensive side.
“It was just a battle,” Haeseler said. “So far in our season, we’ve been playing some teams that have stronger offense, but Lakeside was scrappy. They dug up everything and hit some great shots. The key to tonight was just to fight.”
Geneva got off to a slow start in each of the four sets.
The Eagles were forced to rally back from deficits to force the decisive fifth set, but they started fast and never slowed down in dominating the final set.
“It was just a push to five first,” Haeseler said. “We didn’t get started until the fourth or fifth point in the first four sets, and so my big stress was to get to five first. I think Hannah (Costello) served first and got two aces right off the bat. The key to that set five was just getting on top early.”
Sydney Park led the Eagles with 17 kills and she also recorded 25 digs and three blocks. Ava Sartini posted a team-best 38 digs, and Brooke Richmond finished with 17 assists, 15 digs, five aces, and three kills. Bailey Evangelista contributed with 14 digs and four aces, Carlee Biery recorded nine kills, three digs, and a block. Costello pitched in with 11 assists and three digs, Ella Haeseler finished with six digs, four kills, three assists, two blocks, and an ace, and Makayla Davis added two blocks and a kill.
“For sure, Sydney Park led the offense,” Coach Haeseler said. “She played really strong, and Brooke Richmond had five-plus blocks, and Ava Sartini, our libero, played like a mad woman that last set. Bailey Evangelista as well, she had lots of digs. We played our best defense by far.”
