ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The fifth ranked Lewis University men's volleyball team opens its 2021 season this week hosting three matches beginning with Campbellsville (Ky.) on Wednesday (Jan. 20) at 7 p.m. at Neil Carey Arena. The homestand continues on Friday with the Flyers hosting Queens (N.C.) on Friday (Jan. 22) at 7 p.m. and concludes on Saturday against Lincoln Memorial.
Lewis finished its COVID shortened 2020 season with a record of 15-4 overall and were 6-1 in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association when the season was halted in mid-March.
The Flyers return 18 players from last year's team including four American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American First Team selections
Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin) and
Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS) and honorable mention selections
Kevin Kauling (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and
TJ Murray (Barrington, Ill./Barrington HS).
AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll – Lewis is ranked fifth in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Preseason Coaches Poll that was released on Monday (Jan. 4). It's just the second time in school history – according to available records – that the Flyers have started the season ranked in the top five in the preseason poll. The only other time that Lewis started the season in the top five was prior to the start of the 2013 season.
MIVA Preseason Poll – The Flyers were picked to win the MIVA for the third straight season in the MIVA Preseason Coaches Poll that was announced back in December. Lewis received a total of 62 points and six first place votes in the poll. Loyola was picked to finish second with 43 points while Ball State received the final two first place votes and 40 points overall.
Coenen was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the Preseason All-MIVA team by Kauling, Mitchem and Murray.
Movin' on Up – Coenen begins the season ranked seventh in school history in kills-per-set with 3.50 and eighth in kills with 1,295 and eighth in attack attempts with 2,833. He is also fourth all-time in service aces with 122 and seventh in service aces per set with 0.33. On the defensive side of the ball Coenen has recorded 516 digs which ranks 14th while his digs-per-set of 1.39 is tied for 18th all-time in school history.
In the rally scoring era, he ranks second in kills-per-set, fifth in kills and attack attempts, third in service aces, fifth in aces per set, 10th in digs and 10th in digs per set.
National Statistical Rankings – The Flyers finished the 2020 season ranked in the top five in three NCAA statistical categories. They were fourth in the nation in aces-per-set with 1.84, fourth in hitting percentage at .344 and fourth in opponent hitting percentage at .196.
About Campbellsville – The Tigers enter Wednesday's match with a record of 2-1 after opening the season with wins over Goshen College (3-2) and Tusculum University (3-0). Their lone loss came in a 3-1 defeat at Indiana Tech.
Campbellsville is averaging 13.00 kills-per-set, 12.25 assists-per-set, 1.42 blocks-per-set and 10.67 digs-per-set. It is led offensively by Jason Camacho and Rafael Cruz who are averaging 2.92 and 2.67 kills-per-set respectively. Jeremy Hernandez and Ryan Smith split time running the offense with Hernandez dishing out 6.83 assists-per-set while Smith is handing out an average of 4.40 assists-pet-set. Defensively, Jay Montalvo leads the way with 3.50 digs-per-set and Noah Henkel leads the way with eight total blocks.
Series History vs. Campbellsville – Wednesday's contest marks the first meeting all-time between Lewis and Campbellsville.
About Queens – The Royals enter play this week with a record of 1-1 after splitting a pair of home matches against Saint Francis (Pa.) this past weekend. Queens defeated the Red Flash in the season opener in five sets last Friday and then lost to them in four sets on Saturday.
Nic Cavallaro leads the Royal attack with an average of 3.22 kills-per-set while Brandon Grabow and Daniel Leitao split time at the setter position averaging 6.67 and 5.00 assists-per-set. On the other side of the ball, JP Payne has recorded 12 total blocks and is averaging 1.33 per set while Guillermo Jordan leads the way on the back line with 1.67 digs-per-set.
Series History vs. Queens – Friday's contest will be the first meeting between Queens and the Flyers.
About Lincoln Memorial – The Railsplitters opened their 2021 season this past Saturday with a straight sets win at home over Lees-McRae. In addition to Lewis this weekend, LMU will play at Loyola on Friday night and then will take on McKendree on Sunday afternoon before heading back to Harrogate, Tenn.
Justin Sharfenaker and Pedro Carvalho led the Railsplitters with eight and seven kills respectively in the win over Lees-McRae. AJ Risavy and Ryan Foy finished with 15 and 14 assists respectively while Dawson Walker added three blocks and Jacob Titus finished with four digs.
Series History vs. Lincoln Memorial – Saturday's contest marks the second all-time meeting between Lincoln Memorial and Lewis with the Flyers winning the first meeting in straight sets back on March 2, 2018 at Neil Carey Arena.
Up Next – Lewis heads to Loretto, Penn., next weekend to take on Saint Francis and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). The Flyers and Red Flash will meet next Friday at 12:30 p.m. (CST) and then Lewis will take on the Highlanders on Saturday at 11 a.m. (CST).
