WHAT - 2019 NCAA Men's Volleyball Semifinal
WHO - No. 6 Lewis (26-5) vs. No. 1 Hawaii (27-2)
WHEN - Thursday, May 2 at 7 PM CT
WHERE - Walter Pyramid Long Beach State University
USC RECAP – The Flyers rallied to defeat USC in four sets in the NCAA Opening Round match on Tuesday. Lewis finished the match with a season-high 17.5 total team blocks.
Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin) had a double-double with 18 kills and 11 digs while
Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) set an NCAA Tournament record for digs in a four set match with 17.
MIVA TIME – Teams from the MIVA have accounted for five of the last eight national championships in men's volleyball. Ohio State won it in 2011 and went back-to-back in 2016 and 2017 while Loyola won it in 2014 and 2015.
VS HAWAII – Thursday's match marks the 18th meeting all-time between Lewis and Hawaii with the Rainbow Warriors holding a 15-2 edge in the series. The two teams met last year at the Outrigger Invitational with Hawaii winning 3-0.
I'VE BEEN HERE ALREADY! – The NCAA Tournament isn't Lewis' first trip to Walter Pryamid this year. Lewis played in a fall tournament hosted by Long Beach in October.
TOURNAMENT TIME – This is Lewis' fourth 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 in 2014 at Loyola where they fell to Penn State 3-1. Lewis received an at-large bid in 2015 at Stanford. They defeated Penn State 3-1in the semifinals but lost to Loyola 3-2 for the national championship.
WE WERE SO YOUNG –
Jake Walenga (Frankfort, IL/Lincoln-Way North),
Julian Moses (Atlanta, GA/Atlanta International School),
Mitch Perinar (Channahon, IL/Minooka),
Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) and
Nick Vander Zanden (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) were all members of Lewis' national runners up team in 2015. The quintet redshirted that season.
CALIFORNIA LOVE –
Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo),
Ryan Van Loo (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs),
Grant Holve (Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad) and Kyle Bugee all hail from the Golden State. Yoshimoto is from Ventura Beach, Van Loo hails from Burbank, Holve's hometown is Carlsbad and Bugee is from Cupertino.
POLLING PLACE – The Flyers have been ranked in the AVCA Top 15 Poll for 152 consecutive polls. The last poll without the Flyers ranked on it was Jan. 31, 2011.
ACING THE COMPETITION –
Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) is third in the nation in aces per set with 0.63. He holds the school's single season record for aces in a season with 67.
TYLER FROM THE BLOCK –
Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS) leads the nation in hitting percentage at .503 and is 12th in the country in blocks per set with 1.10.
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BLOCK PARTY - As a team, Lewis is ranked number two nationally in blocks per set with 2.60. Hawaii is first with 2.65 blocks per set.Â
BLOCK IT OUT – After 17.5 blocks vs. USC on April 23, Lewis now has 12 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
TJ Murray (Barrington, IL/Barrington HS). He ranks ninth in the nation in blocks with 0.93 per set.
ASSIST ME –
Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) topped the 1,000 assist mark for the season with his 35 set assists in the win over Loyola in the MIVA Championship game on April 20. He ranks eighth nationally in assists per set with 9.96. His 3,210 career assists ranks third all-time in school history in the rally scoring era and fifth in the overall record books.
NO ROOM FOR BROOMS – It has been 13 months since the Flyers have been swept in a match. Lewis' last loss in three sets came March 31, 2018 at Ohio State. It is a streak of 34 consecutive matches without being swept.
I JUST LOVE AMERICA SO MUCH – Lewis picked up four AVCA All-American honors in 2019.
Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin),
Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS) and
Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) earned second team honors while
Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) earned honorable mention accolades.
ALL-CONFERENCE CALL –
Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin),
Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS),
Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) and
Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) were all named to the 2019 All-MIVA First Team.
Julian Moses (Atlanta, GA/Atlanta International School) and
TJ Murray (Barrington, IL/Barrington HS) were named to the All-MIVA Second Team. Yoshimoto became the third player in school history to be named the MIVA Player of the Year joining Victor Rivera (1998 and 1999) and
Drew Pickering (Wauwatosa, Wis./Wauwatosa West) (2009). Lewis' six total All-MIVA selections are tied for the most in a single season in program history.
MIVA COY – Lewis' head coach
Dan Friend was named the 2019 MIVA Co-Coach of the Year. It is the second time in Friend's career he has earned the honor. He also won the award in 2015.
HOW SWEEP IT IS – Lewis has 18 sweeps this season. It breaks the single-season high during the
Dan Friend era for three-set wins. Lewis won 17 matches in three sets in 2015.
ONCE, TWICE… SIX TIMES – Lewis earned six MIVA Player of the Week awards this season.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE – Lewis is 110-19 (.852) at Neil Carey Arena since 2012.
THEY CALL IT A STREAK – The Flyers' enter Tuesday's contest winners of 19 of their last 20 overall which included an 11-match winning streat from Feb. 8-March 23.
IN THE GOLDEN STATE – In the
Dan Friend era, his Lewis teams are 27-16 in matches played in California.
BUT 28 WOULD BE NICE - Lewis' 26 wins this year are the second most during the tenure of Lewis head coach
Dan Friend.
NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES - Lewis has made seven appearances in the NCAA Men's Volleyball National Championships
April 30, 2019 - (Opening Round) Lewis 3, USC 1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-23) in Long Beach, Calif.
May 7-9, 2015 - (Semifinals) Lewis 3, Penn State 1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-16, 25-20) / (Championship) Loyola 3, Lewis 2 (25-21, 23-25, 15-25, 27-25, 21-23) in Stanford, Calif.
April 29, 2014 - (Play-in) Penn State 3, Lewis 1 (27-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-19) in Chicago, Ill. Greg Petty, Geoff Powell and Eric Fitterer each had double-digit kills
May 3, 2012 - (Semifinals) USC 3, Lewis 1 (25-18, 25-12, 18-25, 27-25) in Los Angeles, Calif. Powell was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team after collecting 17 kills.
May 5, 2004 - (Semifinals) Brigham Young 3, Lewis 0 (21-30, 28-30, 21-30) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Jeff Soler led the Flyer offense with 12 kills and a .360 hitting percentage
May 1-3, 2003 - (Semifinals) Lewis 3, Pepperdine 2 (30-27, 29-31, 30-27, 25-30, 15-13) / (Championship) Lewis 3, Brigham Young 2 (42-44, 30-27, 30-21, 23-20, 15-12) in Long Beach, Calif. (Title was later vacated.)
April 30, 1998 - UCLA 3, Lewis 2 (15-13, 9-15, 6-15, 15-13, 11-15) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Victor Rivera posted a match-high 43 kills and 19 digs, while adding five blocks (four solo).
May 2, 1996 - UCLA 3, Lewis 0 (7-15, 8-15, 10-15) in Los Angeles, Calif. The Flyers first NCAA tournament appearance came in the program's third season. Lewis' middles carried the team as Victor Rivera and Chris Borden each had 11 kills and a .450 hitting percentage.
