UCSB Asics Invitational Bracket

Romeoville, Ill. - The No. 5 Lewis University men's volleyball team opens the 2013 campaign at the UCSB Asics Invitational in Santa Barbara, Calif., taking on UC San Diego on Friday (Jan. 4) at 10 AM PST.
 
The Flyers will play a second match on Friday and a match on Saturday (Jan. 5) in a tournament that features seven of eight teams ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll released on Dec. 28.
 
Lewis has been working hard to repeat as Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Champions and return to the NCAA Semifinals, but the Flyers know the season is a marathon and not a sprint.
 
“In the fall we were trying to get everyone on the same page so that we are going in the right direction at the beginning of the season,” said Lewis head men's volleyball coach Dan Friend. “This year is a new team, and understanding that from the beginning is huge.”
 
MIDDLE HITTERS-
The Flyers return four starters, but have to fill holes at both of the middle hitter.
 
This year's squad returns three players that saw some playing time in 2012 but really stepped up in the off-season. Junior Yiwei Zhou, sophomores Sean Nelson and James Hofmann along with freshman Bobby Walsh all are fighting for those starting spots.
 
“We saw those guys do some really great things throughout the fall,” Friend said. “We will see where those guys are and who is going to make that push.
 
“Hopefully, that position isn't a revolving door, that a couple of guys step up and take that position while the other guys keep battling everyday.”
 
Zhou (6-foot-9) played in 11 matches with three starts, hitting .317 with 21 kills and 17 blocks to average a kill and block per set.
 
“Yiwei is one of our most offensive middles we have,” Friend said. “He has a lot of range in his offensive weapons.”
 
Nelson (6-foot-7) saw time in seven matches for the Flyers and recorded 11 kills in 15 total attack attempts and 10 blocks in eight sets of action.
 
“Sean has worked to improve his footwork, his approach and his swing,” Friend said. “He is a guy that can change what a team is doing on the other side of the net using those tools.”
 
Hofmann (6-foot-8), a redshirt sophomore, played in 11 matches with one start last season and had five kills and six blocks.
 
“James worked really hard in the offseason to put himself in the type of physical shape that it takes to be a middle,” Friend said. “He is a formidable presence on the court.”
 
Walsh (6-foot-9), coming off a USA Men's 2012 Junior A2 Program selection this summer, played for Ultimate Volleyball Club that placed fifth at the Junior Olympics.
 
“Bobby is one of the best tap blockers in our gym,” Friend said. “He is athletic and long and has adapted to the college game very fast.”
 
 
LIBEROS-
The Flyers are also looking to find the right fit at the libero position as sophomores Andy Orf and Victor Schaefer try to take control of the back line.
 
“Andy has taken advantage of an opportunity and worked hard to improve in the areas that he wasn't as confident in,” Friend said. “Victor has worked hard in the offseason to get used to our system.”
 
Schaefer (5-foot-11), a transfer, helped Orange Coast College to a 15-5 record in 2012 and an appearance in the State Championship Finals. Orf (6-foot-2) appeared in seven matches last season, recording two of his four digs against Lindenwood (Feb. 25).
 
SETTERS-
Redshirt junior BJ Boldog (6-foot-4) is back as the general on the court from the setter position. In 2012, Boldog was named to American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Second Team, to All-MIVA First Team and to MIVA All-Tournament Team for his play in 2012. In 29 starts, he finished second in the MIVA and seventh nationally in assists (10.76) and recorded a season-high 60 assists with four kills and seven block assists in the MIVA Championship at Ohio State (April 28).
 
“He has set the expectation level high as well as he has a tremendous work ethic,” Friend said. “He has all the skill sets, but he is just refining some things and pushing the envelope on how good he can be.”
 
Sophomore Tom Logan (6-foot-4) and freshman Scott Fifer (6-foot-3) will also compete for playing time as a setter for the Flyers.
 
OPPOSITE HITTERS-
Sophomore Eric Fitterer (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) (6-foot-8) and redshirt freshman Patrick Lilly (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) (6-foot-5) continue to push each other at the opposite hitter position.
 
Fitterer played in nine matches with three starts, recording 33 kills 10 digs and five block assists.  
 
“With his physical size and his presence, Eric really can be a nightmare for opponents on the other side,” Friend said. “He has improved the range of his game and put him in position to compete for a starting spot.”
 
 
OUTSIDE HITTERS-
Lewis' has a nice stock of stallions at the outside hitters position. Fifth-year AVCA All-American Jay Petty, MIVA Rookie of the Year in redshirt sophomore Geoff Powell and AVCA National Player of the Week sophomore Greg Petty lead the returners.
 
Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) (6-foot-6) started 29 matches and recorded six 20+ kill matches. He led the Flyers with 421 kills adding 160 digs, 68 blocks and 35 aces. Petty also earned All-MIVA First Team honors and was named as MIVA Tournament Most Valuable Player and to the All-MIVA Tournament Team.
 
“The guys look to Jay for a lot of leadership on and off the court,” Friend said. “He is coming off shoulder surgery and is excited about his last year and what lies ahead of us.”
 
Powell (6-foot-4), named to both the NCAA and MIVA All-Tournament teams, played in 30 matches with 16 starts his redshirt sophomore campaign. He was second on the team with 223 kills and recorded 19 kills and seven digs vs. Ball State (April 6). Powell hit .355 with 17 kills and nine digs in the NCAA Semifinals at USC (May 3).
 
“Geoff had a great last half of the season last year for us and was really instrumental for us and where we finished,” Friend said. “He is looking to raise the bar individually and to help the team.”
 
Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) (6-foot-6) was named AVCA National Player of the Week (Jan. 24) after hitting .522 with 14 kills against Penn State (Jan. 21). He played in all 33 matches with 29 starts, recording 201 kills, 122 digs, 47 blocks, 33 aces and 28 assists.
 
“Physically and athletically Greg has become an even better player,” Friend said. “He has challenged himself to raise his level of play.”
 
Eric Butch (6-foot-3), a utility player for the Flyers, returns to his natural position as an outside hitter after learning the game from the setter's point of view in 2012. Butch tallied nine kills, 165 assists, 18 digs, eight assists and five assists last season.
 
“He has been training hard in the fall to feel more comfortable and get back to speed,” Friend said. “We will look for him to come off the bench in a couple of different roles, whether it is outside, serving or in a libero role.”
 
 
SCHEDULE-
The Flyers, guided by team captains Brian Collins, Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North), and Boldog, had an abbreviated holiday season. The squad has been back in the gym to prepare for their opening weekend of 2013 at the UCSB Asics Invitational, participating in a field in which seven of the eight teams in the tournament are ranked and the eighth team received votes.
 
“We treat each game individually, whether conference or non-conference,” Friend said. “We want to go out and be both physically and mentally prepared for any opponent that is across the net.”
 
Friend has scheduled a tough non-conference slate for the Flyers to be tested early with matches against ranked squads at Brigham Young, Penn State, George Mason and Princeton.
 
While the squad knows they need to win the MIVA to get into the NCAA tournament, they try focus on one match at a time.
 
“We want to beat everybody on the other side of the net,” Friend said. “While conference matches have more weight, if we treat every opponent the same it puts us in a better position to compete.”
 
The Flyers understand that while playing tough against their non-conference foes, they have to take care of protecting their home court at Neil Carey Arena while hosting MIVA opponents and try to steal a few conference matches on the road.
 
“Our match at Ohio State will be a tough one,” Friend said. “They are going to want some revenge after we took the MIVA on their court.”
 
Friend and the coaches talk to the team about winning the MIVA and a national championship daily, discussing what needs to be done in order to accomplish their goals.
 
“Our guys are putting themselves in a position to win the MIVA, and win a national championship,” Friend said. “They understand know that they have to work for everything.”