ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — In just its 10th season of competition as a program, the 2004 Lewis University men's volleyball team made history, capturing a conference championship and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. Now, the historic Flyers squad will be inducted into the 40th Lewis Athletics Hall of Fame class.

The 2004 team becomes the third men's volleyball team in program history to enter the Lewis Athletics Hall of Fame as the 1996 and 1998 squads were inducted as members of the 2024 class.

Headlined by fellow 2026 inductees Fabiano Barreto and Ryan Stuntz, the Flyers' 2004 campaign featured 19 victories with marquee wins against Penn State at the OUTRIGGER Invitational in Hawai'i, along with victories over perennial men's volleyball powerhouses USC and UC San Diego.

Lewis entered the MIVA Tournament with an 11-5 record and defeated Purdue Fort Wayne and Ohio State to reach its second consecutive MIVA Championship match. Facing second-seeded Ball State in the final, the Flyers prevailed in a five-set thriller, winning 34-32, 30-24, 26-30, 26-30, 19-17 to secure the program's fourth MIVA Championship.

The Flyers advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where they faced BYU in the national semifinals in a rematch of the 2003 NCAA National Championship. Despite falling short of another championship appearance, Lewis finished the season ranked No. 9 nationally in the final AVCA Coaches Poll. The 2004 team also became the first in program history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons.

Individually, several Flyers earned conference and national recognition. Barreto and Stuntz were named to the All-MIVA First Team, while Jeff Soler earned All-MIVA Second Team honors and was named MIVA Tournament MVP. Soler, Stuntz and Jared Dayton were also selected to the MIVA All-Tournament Team. Soler and Brandon Sisk each earned AVCA Player of the Week honors during the season. At the time, it marked just the second time in program history that two Lewis players had received the national weekly award in the same season.

The annual Flyer Red Dinner is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2027, on campus at the Flight Deck in St. Charles Borromeo Hall. The dinner serves as a fundraising event to benefit Lewis Athletics while also recognizing the 2027 Lewis Athletics Hall of Fame class. 

To register for the event, use the link at the top of the article. For more information about the event, please reach out to Krysten McGee (kmcgee2@lewisu.edu).

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