Complete Game Notes (PDF)

WHAT - 2015 NCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship
WHO - No. 1 seed Lewis (27-3) vs. No. 3 seed Loyola (27-2)
WHEN - Saturday, May 9 at 8:30 PM CT
WHERE - Maples Pavilion Stanford University
TV - ESPNU or ESPN3.com (link)
RADIO - 1340 WJOL (link)

PENN STATE RECAP – Behind an 18.5 to 6.0 blocks advantage, Lewis defeated Penn State 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-16, 25-20) in the NCAA Semifinals on Thursday (May 7). Bobby Walsh (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel) had 10 blocks. Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) led Lewis with 15 kills, including eight in the match clinching fourth set.  

(MID)WEST COAST VOLLEYBALL – Saturday's match between Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association members Lewis and Loyola will be the first time in NCAA history the men's volleyball national championship match does not feature a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation program.

MIVA TIME – Thanks to Loyola and Lewis playing in the championship, the 2015 national champion will come from the MIVA for the third time in five years. Ohio State won the title in 2011, Loyola won in 2014 and another MIVA team will take home the title in 2015.

FOUR TIMES OVER – Saturday's match will mark the first time in program history Lewis has played the same team four times in a single season.

VS LOYOLA – The Flyers know their opponent well.  Summaries of the first three meetings with Loyola are below:

March 9, 2015 - at Loyola - Lewis 3, Loyola 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-22, 29-27)
- Loyola entered as No. 1, Lewis No. 2 in the nation
- Eric Fitterer (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) had six aces, including back-to-back aces to end the match
- The win snapped a 40-match win streak for the Ramblers

April 1, 2015 - at Lewis - Lewis 3, Loyola 1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-23)
- Flyers out-hit the Ramblers .248 to .154
- Lewis out-blocked Loyola 18 to 7
- Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) notched 14 kills

May 1, 2015 - at Lewis - Loyola 3, Lewis 1 (16-25, 25-15, 29-27, 25-15)
- Lewis lost to Loyola for the third straight year in the MIVA Championship
- Loyola out-hit Lewis .398 to .357
- Geoff Powell (Claremont, Calif./Claremont) recorded a line of 18-1-30 (.567)

I'VE BEEN HERE ALREADY! – The NCAA Tournament isn't Lewis' first trip to Maples Pavillon this year. Lewis played in a tournament hosted by Stanford in January. Lewis topped Stanford 3-0 and fell to BYU in five sets the next night in a neutral site match.

TOURNAMENT TIME – This is Lewis' third appearance in NCAA play under Lewis head coach Dan Friend. The Flyers won the MIVA Championship in 2012 and fell to host USC in the NCAA Semifinals in four. The Flyers were in the play in game last season at Loyola. The Flyers fell to Penn State 3-1.

WE WERE SO YOUNG – Geoff Powell (Claremont, Calif./Claremont) and Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) started as freshmen in 2012 when the Flyers lost in four at USC to the Trojans in the NCAA Tournament. Powell returned to his native California to hit .355 with 17 kills and nine digs vs. the Trojans. Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) put down six kills.

CALIFORNIA LOVE – Powell is one of two Californians on the Lewis roster. Powell and libero Lucas Yanez (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) call the Golden State their home. Powell is from Claremont. Yanez' home is Burbank.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE #1? – Lewis earned the No. 1 ranking in the AVCA NCAA DI-II Top 15 Poll on Monday (April 20). It was the first time Lewis earned the No. 1 ranking in the nation during the season since 1999. It also allowed Lewis to play a home game as the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time.

POLLING PLACE – The Flyers have been ranked in the AVCA Top 15 Poll for 84 consecutive polls. That is a total of 221 calendar weeks. The last poll without the Flyers ranked on it was Jan. 31, 2011.

GREAT WALSH OF LEWIS – Bobby Walsh (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel) leads the nation in blocks per set with 1.59 per frame.

BOBBY FROM THE BLOCK – Bobby Walsh (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel)'s blocking prowess earned him the 2015 Off The Block/Springbak National Blocker of Year award. The honor was voted on by more than 30 college men's volleyball head coaches and volleyball reporters from around the nation.

BLOCK PARTY - As a team, Lewis is ranked number one nationally in blocks per set with 3.44. No other team is averaging 3.00 blocks per set.

BLOCK IT OUT – After 18.5 blocks vs. Penn State on Thursday, Lewis now has 20 matches this season with 10 or more blocks.

DON'T YOU, FORGET ABOUT ME - Lewis' block is also aided by the Flyers other middle hitter sophomore Jacob Schmiegelt (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook). He ranks seventh in the nation in blocks with 1.23 per set.

ASSIST ME – The one starter for Lewis who did not return from last season was All-American setter BJ Boldog (Palatine, Ill./Palatine). The four-year starter guided Lewis to the NCAA play in 2012 and 2014. Filling his shoes this year is junior Scott Fifer (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg). The new starter did pretty well. He guided a Lewis offense to a .347 attack percentage in 2015 while averaging 9.64 assists per set. He had a season-high in assists in a three set match at Maples Pavilon when he recorded 40 against the Cardinal on Jan. 9. He went on to record 40 assists in a sweep of Lindenwood on April 28.

NO ROOM FOR BROOMS – It has been two full years since the Flyers have been swept in a match. Lewis' last loss in three sets came April 13, 2013 at IPFW. It is a streak of 61 consecutive matches without being swept.

I JUST LOVE AMERICA SO MUCH – Lewis picked up a program single-season high five AVCA All-American honors in 2015. Geoff Powell (Claremont, Calif./Claremont) was named to the First Team. Lucas Yanez (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs), Bobby Walsh (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel), Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) and Eric Fitterer (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) were named to the Second Team.

ALL-CONFERENCE CALL – Geoff Powell (Claremont, Calif./Claremont), Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North), Bobby Walsh (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel), Lucas Yanez (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs), Eric Fitterer (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) were named to the 2015 All-MIVA First Team. Scott Fifer (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) was named to the All-MIVA Second Team. It is the first time in MIVA history five players from the same team have made the All-MIVA First Team. The Flyers account for half of the 10 All-MIVA First Team honorees. Lewis' six total All-MIVA selections are the most in a single season in program history.

MIVA COTY – Lewis head coach Dan Friend was named the 2015 MIVA Coach of the Year. It is the first time in Friend's career he has earned the honor.

NATIONAL COTY – Dan Friend also took home the 2015 AVCA National Coach of the Year honor, also a first for the Lewis' skipper.

NATIONAL ASSISTANT COTY – Lewis assistant coach Matt McCarthy was named the 2015 AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year.

ELITE 89 WINNER – Eric Fitterer (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) took home the NCAA's Elite 89 Award earlier this week. The award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 89 championships. Fitterer, a business administration major, owns a 3.86 cumulative grade point average. He is the second Flyer to win this award, joining Ian Karbiener, who was honored in 2012. Fitterer is the third student-athlete in school history and second this year to win the award after Jamie Johnson of the women's basketball team won the Elite 89 Award in the 2015 NCAA Elite Eight.

HOW SWEEP IT IS – Lewis has 17 sweeps this season. It breaks the single-season high during the Dan Friend era for three-set wins. Lewis won 16 matches in three sets in 2012.

ONCE, TWICE… SIX TIMES – Lewis earned six MIVA Player of the Week awards this season.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE – Lewis is 57-6 (.904) at Neil Carey Arena since 2012. The 2012 season was the freshman year for this squad's senior class meaning the seniors only lost six times at home in their careers.

ALREADY A RECORD – The fewest losses by a Lewis team in program history is the 1996's 31-5 mark. Lewis can only add one more loss to their ledger this year. This means the 2015 team will set a record for fewest losses in a season no matter what happens in the postseason.

THEY CALL IT A STREAK – The Flyers' loss at Ohio State earlier this season ended a 13-match win streak for the Flyers. It matched the longest win streak during the Dan Friend era. The 2013 Flyers also won 13 matches in a row.

IN THE GOLDEN STATE – In the Dan Friend era, his Lewis teams are 25-10 in matches played in California.

BUT 28 WOULD BE NICE - Lewis' 27 wins this year are the most during the tenure of Lewis head coach Dan Friend.