ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University's seventh ranked men's volleyball team closes out its four-game homestand this weekend hosting Urbana (Ohio) and University of Charleston (W.V.). The Flyers and Blue Knights meet on Friday at 7 p.m. and then will take on the Golden Eagles on Saturday at 7 p.m. Both matches will be played at Neil Carey Arena.
Last Time Out – Lewis dropped two top 15 matches last weekend to top ranked Hawaii in four sets and to No. 14 Penn State in five sets.
Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin) led the Flyers offensive attack with 33 kills in the two contests including a season-high 21 kills against the Nittany Lions.
Alumni Night – Saturday will be Lewis Athletic Alumni Night at Neil Carey Arena. There will be a reception in Memorial Hall prior to the start of the match against Charleston. The event will be from 5-7 p.m.
Hall of Famer – Doug McBride, a member of the inaugural men's volleyball team, will be inducted into the Lewis Athletic Hall of Fame at the fourth annual Flyer Red Dinner on Thursday, March 26 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Drury Lane Theatre and Conference Center in Oakbrook Terrace.
Acing the Competition – Lewis enters play this weekend ranked 10th in the country and first in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association in aces per set with 1.96. Individually,
Kyle Bugée (Cupertino, CA, Homestead) is fourth nationally and tops in MIVA in aces per set with 0.79.
High Percentage – TJ Murray (Barrington, IL/Barrington HS) is third in the country and first in MIVA with a .482 hitting percentage.
About Urbana – The Blue Knights, a first-year program, enter Friday's match with a record of 0-6. In its last match, Urbana lost in five sets to Wittenberg on Tuesday evening. Jack Brinkman led the Blue Knights with 18 kills and nine digs in the contest while Liam Morrissey added nine kills.
Series vs. Urbana – Friday's contest marks the first meeting between the two schools.
About Charleston – The Golden Eagles enter Friday's match at Loyola-Chicago with a record of 1-5. In its last outing, UC dropped a five-set decision to Limestone. Lachlan Bray tallied 14 kills, five aces and six digs for the Golden Eagles. Andrew Klein had eight kills and 10 digs in the match while Ian Barker had seven kills and six digs in the contest.
Series vs. Charleston – Saturday's contest marks the second meeting all-time between Lewis and the University of Charleston. The Flyers won the first meeting in straight sets back on Jan. 22, 2016.
Up Next – Lewis travels to Fairfax, Va., next weekend to take part in George Mason's UValdo Acosta Invitational. The Flyers will take on 2019 NCAA Tournament participant Barton next Friday at 4 p.m. (CST) and then will face the host Patriots on Saturday at 6 p.m. (CST).
