ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis plays its final two road matches of the regular season against No. 13 Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday and No. 15 Ball State two days later. The Flyers swept both teams earlier this season at Neil Carey Arena. A 2-0 clip to close out the road schedule would mark the second time in three seasons that Lewis has swept the regular season series against both MIVA-foes.
Last Time Out: Lewis clipped No. 11 Loyola in four sets last Friday to remain unbeaten in MIVA play and extend their lead over the Ramblers to two matches for the top spot in the MIVA Standings.
Julian Moses (Atlanta, GA/Atlanta International School) led three Flyers in double figures in the match with 16 kills while
Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin) added 13 and
Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS) finished with 12.
Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) had a match-high 46 assists and
Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) finished with a match-high 13 digs.
A Look at the Mastodons: Purdue Fort Wayne enters Thursday's match on a five-match winning streak that was sparked by its straight-sets win over in-state rival Ball State on Feb. 21. Pelegrin Vargas, MIVA's Reigning Offensive Player of the Week, collected his third conference weekly honor with 19-kill performances against Penn state last Friday and Saint Francis on Saturday to pace the Mastodons. Vargas leads the team with 3.67 kills per set – which is good for third in MIVA. Middle blocker Richie Diedrich, MIVA's Defensive Player of the Week on March 12, leads the 'Dons with 1.07 blocks per set. He has posted double-digit points in each of his last three matches.
A Look at the Cardinals: After a 1-2 non-conference showcase in Hawaii, the Cardinals returned home to defeat St. Francis last Friday behind 17 kills apiece from Matt Szews and Ben Chinnici. Ball State is fresh off a Saint Patrick's Day win against Penn State, getting 21 kills from Szews. In his last four matches, Szews is averaging 5.00 kills per set and has recorded 65 kills. The Cardinals enter Thursday's contest against No. 10 Loyola with a 12-10 overall record with Szews leading the team with 3.42 kills per set. That mark ranks fifth in the conference. Ball State is behind McKendree in the standings for the right to host the 4 vs. 5 quarterfinal matchup in the MIVA Tournament. The Cardinals enter Thursday 1.5 matches behind the Bearcats, but have three matches in hand.
Series History: Thursday's contest marks the 62nd meeting all-time between Lewis and Purdue Fort Wayne with the Flyers holding a 37-24 advantage in the series and have won 11 in a row including the straight-set win earlier this season on February 16 at Neil Carey Arena. This will be the 29th matchup in Fort Wayne where the 'Dons lead the series 15-13. Purdue Fort Wayne's last win in the series came on Feb. 20, 2014 defeating the Flyers in five sets.
Saturday's match at Ball State marks the 63rd meeting all-time between the Flyers and Cardinals with the series tied at 31 apiece. Lewis has won two straight in the series and 12 of the last 15 since 2012. The Flyers swept the Cardinals in Romeoville on Feb. 15.
Up Next: Lewis returns home to begin its final homestand of the year next Friday beginning with a match against McKendree at 7 p.m. The Flyers continue their homestand on Saturday welcoming Ohio State to Neil Carey Arena for a 7 p.m. first serve.
