ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The seventh ranked Lewis men's volleyball team opens its 2019 season this weekend hosting North Greenville and UC Irvine. The Flyers open the season against the Crusaders on Friday at 7 p.m. and then host the fourth ranked Anteaters on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Lewis' 2019 season began to be shaped in late July and early August of 2018 when the team went on a two week trip to Slovenia and Italy to play some international competition. It continued into the fall season playing a challenging schedule which included a match against defending national champion Long Beach State.

The Flyers were picked to finish first in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) and begin the year ranked seventh nationally.

In typical Lewis fashion, it will once again face a challenging schedule squaring off against eight teams ranked in the AVCA preseason top 15, plus three more who are receiving votes.

The Flyers were well represented on the preseason All-MIVA team with five members selected. Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo), Mitch Perinar (Channahon, IL/Minooka), Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley), Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin) and Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) were selected to the team.

Coenen and Simmons were also named to the Off the Block Preseason First Team All-American team while Yoshimoto was an honorable mention selection.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
North Greenville was 13-16 and 7-9 in the Conference of Carolinas last year, finishing in fifth place. The Crusaders lost to Belmont Abbey in the opening round of the Conference of Carolinas tournament.

NGU has to replace its two of its top three hitters from a season ago in Jackson Gilbert and Matthew McManaway but do return middle hitter Ben Hamsho who averaged 1.73 kills per set in 2018. The Crusader offense is run by setter Jake Boldog, younger brother of former Lewis All-Amercian BJ Boldog, who averaged 8.6 assists per set a season ago.

UCI ended the year 21-10 overall and tied for second in the Big West with a 6-4 mark.

The Anteaters return All-Americans Scott Stadick, Karl Apfelbach, Aaron Koubi and Joel Schneidmiller.

All seven starters were All-Big West selections with Dante Chakravorti, David Parker and Austin Wilmot joining the four All-Americans.

UCI made the program's seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018, making the tournament field as an at-large selection.

LOOKING BACK
Lewis ended the year 19-11 overall and fourth in MIVA play with a 9-5 mark.

The Flyers return three players who were named to the AVCA All-American team in Coenen who was a second team selection while Simmons and Yoshimoto were named to the honorable mention squad.

Lewis had six players named to the All-MIVA team in 2018 with Mitch Perinar (Channahon, IL/Minooka), Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) and TJ Murray (Barrington, IL/Barrington) joining the three All-Americans.