ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis' sixth ranked men's volleyball teams heads west for a pair of matches this weekend traveling to California to take on eighth ranked UC Irvine and UC San Diego. The Flyers and Anteaters meet on Thursday at 9 p.m. (CST) and Lewis takes on the Tritons on Saturday at 9 p.m. (CST).

Last Time Out – Lewis raised the curtain on its 2020 season splitting its home matches last weekend. The Flyers opened the season with a straight set win over King last Friday and then were defeated by third ranked BYU in four sets on Saturday.

Record Breaking – Lewis had a school record hitting percentage of .614 (42-7-57) in the win over King last Friday. The Flyers hit a blistering .857 (19-1-21) in the opening set and were led by Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS) who was 7-for-7 in the stanza.

Scouting UC Irvine – The Anteaters opened their season with a straight set win over Princeton on Dec. 29. UCI hit .316 (34-10-76) in that contest and were led by Alexandre Nsakanda with 11 kills. The Anteaters finished the 2019 season with a record of 18-11 and were picked to finish fourth in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll.

Series vs. UC Irvine – Thursday's contest marks the seventh meeting all-time between Lewis and UCI with the Anteaters having won five of six matches in the series dating back to 2010. Last season, UCI defeated Lewis 3-1 at Neil Carey Arena. This marks the sixth time in the last seven seasons that the two teams have played.

Scouting UC San Diego – The Tritons open their 2020 season this Thursday hosting No. 11 Loyola Chicago at 9 p.m. (CST). UCSD is coming off a 7-20 finish a year ago and was picked to finish sixth in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. The Tritons return four starters and their primary libero from last year's team.

Junior outside hitter Wyatt Harrison, a 2018 Big West All-Freshman Team selection, averaged 3.6 points and 3.2 kills per set last season, both team bests. He also led the team with 18 service aces.

Series vs. UC San Diego – Lewis leads the all-time series with the Tritons 6-2 dating back to 2001 but the two sides have split the last four meetings. The Flyers defeated UCSD in straight sets last season. Saturday's contest marks the third all-time meeting in San Diego where Lewis is 2-0.

Up Next – The Flyers begin a four-game homestand next Friday evening taking on top ranked Hawaii at 7 p.m. at Neil Carey Arena. It'll be Beach Night for the match against the Rainbow Warriors.