Previous seasons: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 & 2007-11
Hey Flyer Fans!
My name is Morgan Goodman and I am a sophomore transfer here at Lewis and wear #4. I am beyond grateful and thankful my journey has led me here to Lewis. The team dynamic on and off the court is something so rare and special that we have. I believe it sets us apart from every other program in the nation. I have made some friends that I know will become lifelong ones. Building the relationships here with coaches and teammates has been one of my favorite things! Still, I truly cannot believe how caring, kind, and compassionate everyone is! Literally, SO amazing and something I definitely needed to be around!
Another thing I find truly awesome is how everyone LOVES volleyball almost as much as I do! Everyone is willing to put in the extra reps and time to make themselves better so we can achieve our ultimate goal of winning a National Championship. Words are said here, but every word is backed up by actions. We push one another with constructive criticism in practice too. Many times, with girls especially, criticism comes across as passive aggressive or rude. But, with this group, it’s the complete opposite. We take feedback from one another so well because we know it’s coming from a place of caring, much like how a family is.
We have had some ups and downs this season, but it’s far from over. Taking a loss from Bellarmine helped put some things in perspective for us if we truly want to win a National Championship. After that loss we re-focused and worked on the things we struggle with which helped us turn around and beat Bellarmine in three! Pretty sweet right?
My game personally has improved SO much from the short time I’ve been here. At the beginning of the season I struggled with hitting multiple shots and I struggled mentally with getting down on myself. With multiple meetings with Lorelee, extra individual practices, and my passion for the game, my skills and mentality have increased drastically! You don’t have to be a full-time starter to improve your game here at Lewis! That is another thing that sets us apart from any other school.
All in all, I truly love being a Lewis Flyer! I couldn’t have asked for a better family away from my family. Our regular season is almost finished, but our season isn’t anywhere close to being over! Keep following along to us win those National Championship rings!!
Love Always Your Lewis Flyer
Morgan Goodman #4
Hey Flyer Fans!
I’m Aly Schneider and I’m a senior middle hitter and I wear #12. It feels so weird to say that I am a senior. SO. SO. WEIRD! I feel like I was just a freshman yesterday! A little bit about me: I am from Indiana (#daddysgirlfromindiana). I am a nursing major AND I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT LEWIS VOLLEYBALL. I honestly feel so blessed to be surrounded my such amazing people every day. I have the BEST coaches ever and the BEST teammates ever! Seriously, it’s true!
This past weekend was awesome! We finally got to play at home after a long away game streak. We hosted McKendree and Maryville on Friday and Saturday. McKendree is a known rival of ours and we were fired up for that game! It was a battle the whole time but we won in five which was SAWEEEET! On Saturday, everyone on our team got to play against Maryville and we swept them!!!!
After coming off a very successful weekend, we know we have to work extremely hard and push each other hard in practice this week as we prepare for our last regular season matches!! We play Bellarmine on Tuesday for the second time and let’s just say we have some REVENGE to take care of. This is a huge regional match for us. We are currently ranked #1 in the region and Bellarmine is ranked #4 in the region. Not to get ahead of ourselves but we are hoping to host regionals in our home gym and the #1 team in the region gets to do so!
I hope you can make it out to one of our games! If not, you can stream the games online! Thanks for cheering us on this season!!!
Love always your Lewis Flyer,
Aly Schneider #12
Dear Lewis Flyers,
Hello everyone! It’s Haley Sobieralski #7 freshman setter. I’m so proud to be a part of such an amazing program that has been super successful in the past, and continues to become even more successful each year. I’ve enjoyed every moment of this season from being ranked #1 for the first time ever to taking a loss.
It has all been a great ride and made me and everyone on the team mentally strong. It feels like only yesterday that the season was just starting and it saddens me that I only have a month left playing with six of my best friends here.
On a happier note, our team has already been on many fun and exciting journeys. Personally my favorite thing that we have done this year was when the whole team dressed up as Mario Kart characters for the Cross-Over tournament practice! We had a skit when we walked in, all the drivers raced around the court three times. However, a close second would definitely be when everyone on the team found out we were ranked number 1!
I remember getting snap chat videos of Alex calling her parents and telling them that they were adopting a dog because their whole section made a bet that if we ever got ranked number one they would buy one. Sadly they never got the dog, but walking around campus and hearing people in the hallways talking about the number 1 ranked volleyball team was super cool.
Yes there have been many great times, but to have those fun times you first have to go through the hard ones. The worst thing that happened for me personally was losing to Bellarmine because I know we didn’t play Lewis volleyball. It was awful seeing everyone so disappointed and losing to them bumped us down to number six.
However, this loss only gave us fire under our feet. I think it was a reality check and everyone came out to our next practice ready to fight their way back to the top. I can’t wait to finish this season out as strong as we started it!
Thanks for reading! GO LEWIS!!!
Love always, your Lewis Flyer,
Haley!
What's up Flyer fans! It's Shayna Filippelli, senior setter from Trinity, Florida. I sure don't act like a senior so it's crazy to think my volleyball run is coming to an end! This season has been nothing but amazing already! We are almost to the post season and I see big things ahead for our amazing team.
We are doing pretty great, we are 23-2 and we were previously ranked number one in d2 and we are currently ranked number 4 which is still amazing. We recently just celebrated coach's 300th win which was such an honor to be a part of. Last week we took a tough loss to Bellarmine but it drove us in practice this week and bounce back and sweep both teams. We even had an epic dance battle between the team and rocked some awesome braids at Missouri S&T. We are so driven and now more than ever we are pushing to that finish line.
I am so blessed to be a part of this amazing program. I am loved, supported, and surrounded by the most amazing people. This team is truly special and these girls have made such an impact on my life. Every goal we make, we have the opportunity to complete it and our coaches will give us every resource they have in order to help guide us. This is my Lewis family and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
The road to a national championship is far from over and we have a lot of work to do. I hope you can follow us along the way.
From 1 to 43.
Love always your favorite #13 Flyer,
Shayna Filippelli
Dear Flyer Fans,
Hello everyone! It’s Caroline Stefanon #10 sophomore middle hitter. This year is flying by as we only have two weeks left of regular season play before the conference tournament!
We traveled to Missouri this past weekend and got to stop at my teammate Morgan’s house for an awesome breakfast. The team had a time to relax and bond, and even take a horseback ride on one of Morgan’s horses.
We went undefeated in our matches versus Drury and Missouri S&T. With our win against Drury, our head coach Lorelee Smith marked her 300
th career win. As a surprise for her, we each made t-shirts to spell out “Congrats on 300 wins!” that we put on after the game. Some of my teammates even hoisted her up and started carrying her around.
The craziness the team can bring at times often has me questioning some people’s sanity. We, however, know when to buckle down and focus on our goals. I am so proud to be a part of this loving, hardworking, determined program that feels more like a family at times than a just a volleyball team. Our season is far from over and I’m just as excited as you to see what this team has to bring the rest of our season.
We have a weekday match against UW-Parkside on Halloween, but you can catch us this weekend at HOME!! *gasp** Say what??*
Yes you read that right. Our matches this weekend matches will be against McKendree on Friday and Maryville on Saturday at Neil Carey.
Thank you all for supporting us this season. We’d love to see you out at our next games!!
Love Always,
Your Lewis Flyer,
Caroline
Hey Flyer Fans!
Maddie Seliga redshirt senior right side #20 here. Yup...despite all the times I have tried to convince people that I'm still a freshman...I am a 5th year senior. I can hardly believe this is my last player diary!
The season is well underway and there are only a few weeks left before post-season! We're off to a good start as our current record is 20-2 overall. This weekend we took a tough loss to Bellarmine in five sets. Unfortunately, we didn't bring our best. However, I think the loss will help motivate us in the following weeks to continue cleaning up and improving our game every day.
This is such an amazing program to be a part of. Every year and team has been different and I can honestly say, I feel truly lucky that I got to be a part of it all. From setting and achieving goals, motivating each other, working hard, learning, growing, having ups and downs, and being there for each other, this family does it all.
It's hard to imagine that my five years playing collegiate volleyball is almost at an end. This program, the culture, and most importantly the people have changed my life and helped me become who I am today. As for now, I am just trying to take in and enjoy every day that I still get to be a part of this.
P.S. Couldn't have made it here with out my BFF super senior Bailey Sparkman. It has been quite a ride and I'm so glad we got to take it together.
Love ALWAYS your Lewis Flyer,
Maddie Seliga #20
Dear Flyer Fans,
Hi all. My name is Alexandra Preuss #2 and I am a sophomore outside hitter from Elmhurst, Illinois. So far this season brings nothing but a smile to my face. From the amazing memories of playing in Hawaii to working hard to become the #1 ranked team in the nation, the season has already presented so much growth between players individually and as a team. The passion this team has for volleyball is beyond any other team I have been a part of. We set our standards high and our goals even higher.
This past weekend we played at the Midwest Region Crossover Tournament. We went into the weekend with a goal of being undefeated.. Friday we played University of Findlay and Grand Valley State University, and Saturday we played Ferris State. Though the teams we played brought great competition, we finished the weekend 3-0 without losing a single set to any team, and we accomplished our number one goal for the weekend.
This weekend we will continue our journey as we play Bellarmine University down in Kentucky. Even though we traveling on the road, please still support us and watch us play online! We play at 3:00pm (EST) on Saturday, October 21st!
Love Always, your Lewis Flyer,
Alexandra #2
Dear Flyer Fans,
I'm Jamie Poppen #5 freshman libero/DS! I'm from St. Louis, Missouri where I attended Parkway West High School and played club volleyball at Rockwood Thunder. I can't believe how fast the season is flying by! Looking back, preseason seems like it was forever ago. We've had a very strong start and I'm so impressed and proud of how hard working, encouraging and committed this team is. This team is a family that cares deeply for each other and the game, which is my favorite aspect of this program.
I'm not going to lie, it wasn't easy leaving home and facing college at first! I was homesick and the changes could be overwhelming, but I have found all there is to love about Lewis University and all it has to offer, especially Lewis volleyball!! College is definitely an adjustment, but my welcoming teammates and coaches were there to help from the start! They give everyone nicknames and have fun cheers for everyone, making you feel like family from the start!
While challenging each other every day to be better on the court and in the weight room, we always find time to have fun! We spent a lot of time traveling at the beginning of the season...to Hawaii and Colorado!! We made sure to entertain ourselves on the trip over by playing mafia and doing headphone challenges. What's that? It's a challenge where someone belts out a song while listening to it so loud that they can't hear themself singing it. It's hilarious. We've also had a great time going to Ronni's lake house, bonding at the sand dunes, apple picking and eating tons of meals together.
The loving, dedicated atmosphere of this program is infectious and has been a pleasure to be a part of. I believe that the family feeling of the team is one of the reasons we are so successful. Everyone is committed to reaching their goals and never settles despite our winning record. Between everyone's intrinsic motivation and the encouragement of our teammates, we are always pushing to be better, which I love.
This season has been full of hard work and laughs, but my favorite memory is probably our day off in Hawaii because the team got to climb to the top of Diamond Head to see the sunset and went to the beach, and my brother and I got to swim with dolphins!
Can't wait to continue this journey! Go Flyers!
Love,
Jamie
Dear Flyer Fans,
Hello everyone! It’s Colleen Wilhelm #14 sophomore rightside hitter. Being able to reflect back on this season so far just brings a smile to my face. We have had so many amazing competitions and travels, but the exciting part is just beginning. I feel very blessed to be a part of this team/family, we have already grown so much from the first week of pre-season, I can only imagine how we will look come post season! :)
These past two months have had some amazing moments.
My favorites are:
1. Getting up before dawn to see the sunrise at Diamond Head in Hawaii! We started hiking only 10 minutes before sunrise, and managed to make it up to the top in record time (we haven’t checked that yet but we assume we are the fastest). Yes we played ‘Purple Lamborghini’ to get us through the last flight of stairs, and it was well worth it.
2. Last weekend we were on the road when there was a technical difficulty at a gym, so the national anthem didn’t play. It didn’t take my crafty teammates (Ronni) long to suggest singing acapella, and before you knew it our team and the whole gym was in unison belting it out. It was something I will never forget!
It is not all fun and games however, we put in some serious work! This year I did “the dunes” for the first time, and when we were sprinting up hot sand dunes with backpacks on, it was really quite the test. But nothing was better than the feeling of running DOWN the dunes and into the lake as our reward, and doing it all with my teammates. And let me tell you, with good travel comes GREAT food. My favorite meal was the Kalua Pig Sandwich in Honolulu, Hawaii. Something everyone should have at least once in their lives. I think Stef and I had a competition of who could eat their sandwich the fastest…the winner is still up for discussion.
Thank you all for following us and cheering us on all season! We are where we are because of you. We will keep working hard, and enjoying the ride.
Love Always your Lewis Flyer,
Colleen W. #14
Dear Flyer Fans,
Hi everyone! It’s Bailey Sparkman #43 redshirt senior outside hitter. Wow, redshirt senior? Yep, that means I’ve been here for five years. WOW. It is crazy how fast time passes. Looking back at these last five years, Lewis has been a huge huge part in making me the woman I am today. I have learned, failed, accomplished and CONQUERED during these times. All with my amazing friends, teammates, and coaches by my side. To be a part of so many amazing and different teams throughout the years has been an absolute blast. I will remember the wins and the awards and the trips around the country, but I will NEVER FORGET the great memories that I made with my teammates. Some stories I’m sure I will be sharing for years and years to come. My advice to the younger girls on our squad would be to experience as much as you can. Don’t be afraid to fail. Refuse to take NO for an answer, and be relentless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire!
OKAY, enough of the mushy stuff. We have had an awesome season so far. This team is something special! Preseason was the best one yet, with trips to Hawaii and Colorado. Even though we are kicking butt in conference and pulling out big wins in only three sets, we are still pushing ourselves every day in the gym, weight room, and classroom to be the best that we can be.
I LOVE that where most teams would be complacent with the wins, we are still hungry for more and still wanting to advance ourselves in skill and court IQ. The CrossOver is right around the corner!
I have a lot of funny memories from this season already, but one of the favorites is when it was my birthday and the team had a secret theme practice where they dressed like me. Haha. It was funny and they were pretty spot on with some of the outfits and accessory choices. Well done ladies. I also can’t believe that Maddie and I are now 23 and we came to Lewis when we were 18. OMG.
Thanks for reading! GO LEWIS!!!!
Love always, your Lewis Flyer,
BAILEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello Flyer fans!
This week we got to go home for some TURKEY!!! Since we’re still playing, our break was short and sweet. However, everyone was able to go home rest their bodies and spend some quality time with their families. We are SO unbelievable excited to be hosting Regionals. Getting the opportunity to play more games on our home court is an incredible gift. We can’t wait to continue post season and make it all the way to a National Championship!
Love you Flyers,
Bits and Lizzy
Hi Flyer Fans,
This is Redshirt Junior, setter Abby Becker. This past week was Thanksgiving break and we got some days off and be with our families. We had morning practice on Wednesday and then had to be back on Saturday for night practice. During my break, I had the chance to spend time with my nephew Wyatt. He is six months old and the cutest little guy around. If you have seen him at some of our games you know that he has a stone face, but while I was home he couldn’t stop smiling. (It was obviously because of me ?). On Thanksgiving I spent time with my family and had a ton of food. Pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes are my favorite food during Thanksgiving and I had enough to keep me satisfied until next Thanksgiving. Every year my sister and I go out shopping and fight the lines during Black Friday. Guess what??! I got a lot of clothes, THANKS SANTA. Saturday my family and I ate breakfast together, which was very nice. Later, my sister and I went to a German Festival before I left to get to practice. On Saturday we had one practice and Sunday we had two practices with some food and our monthly garage sale. In the beginning of the year Coach gave us a checkbook to track points we win during our practices. We get to spend those points in the garage sale where we put our unwanted items in. It can get pretty heated for example a fidget spinner went for over 400 points and there was some screaming and boxing lol jk. This is a big week, we are playing in the Regional Tournament to get to the Elite 8. This year we are hosting Regionals for the first time in school history. It is a nice change of pace because we won’t have to travel and miss any class. We play Michigan Tech and have been practicing for them since Saturday. We are all excited and have been working since last year for this moment. We play Michigan Tech on Thursday at 7:30 pm, hope to see you there! Flight on!
You Lewis flyer,
Abby
Hi! I am Ronni Katarzynski, I am a sophomore here at Lewis University. I transferred here in the spring of 2017. I am a libero/ds and have been playing volleyball since I was 9. I am so grateful for the opportunity to play for Lewis University. Transferring to this school has not only made me a better volleyball player but also a well rounded individual.
Right now at this point of the season we are heading into our regional tournament. I am so excited for this part of the season because it is what we have been working towards this whole season.
My favorite part of this season had to be winning conference tournament. Being down 0-2 at the beginning was a challenge we have never encountered. After the second set, we had to reevaluate what it was we were working for and what we needed to do to thrive in this difficult situation. We came together and our force could not be reckon with. We flipped the switch and decided to conquer this challenge as a unit. That moment right there made me realize how amazing this team is. I am so excited to see what the rest of the season holds for us. #1243
Ronni Katarzynski #1
Dear Flyer Fans,
It’s senior middle Joyce Balash #23 here. The first thing I have to say is thank you. Thank you to my team for being some of my best friends and my support system for the last four years. Thank you to our coaches for putting us first and working hard for us every day even when they have a million other things going on in their lives. Thank you to our families and our fans for believing in this team 110% and for being there every step of this crazy journey we were on this past season. Just thank you!
As many people know, our season ended this past weekend in the NCAA DII Midwest Regional Championship match against Rockhurst. As heartbreaking as it is that we will not be taking this journey down to Pensacola for the NCAA DII National Championships, I still can have a smile on my face knowing how amazing this team, this program and this season was.
We have shared some amazing times together and made unforgettable memories. From Hawaii to Colorado, being ranked in the top 10 all season, the long hours of practice, living with some of my best friends, spending what seemed to be a million hours on a bus and having an incredible 33-3 record this season. Even though it is over, I will never forget all the fun we had this season.
Being a senior and having to walk away from my career in the Neil Carey goes down in the books as one of the hardest and most emotional things I have ever had to do. But I am not sad about never playing volleyball again or because we won’t be walking on the court to compete with the top eight teams in the nation. I am upset, sad and heartbroken because these girls, who have proven to be my true family, won’t be a part of my daily life anymore.
For those who have been a part of the Lewis volleyball program, you know how truly special it is. There are a rare group of girls who get to experience this, and I am so thankful that I got to leave my last steps on our home court and on this program.
Ok, enough emotional rambling from me. Time to go soak up the last two weeks I get with my teammates before graduation! Once a Flyer, always a Flyer.
Love always… your Lewis Flyer,
Joyce Balash #23
Dear Flyer Fans,
Hi everyone! It’s Tori Foster #9 junior middle hitter. I transferred to Lewis last spring after 3 semesters at another school in our conference, and it truly feels like that was in another lifetime. The person on the phone with Lorelee last January (2 days before the start of the semester, I might add) that was overwhelmed with uncertainty and doubt only exists as a reminder of how far I’ve come and how much Lewis volleyball has had an impact on every aspect of my life. I owe so much of my growth and optimism to the people in this program, especially our incredible group of six seniors who have taught me more about life and myself than they will ever know. Their words and mentality will help this program grow for years to come.
While I wish I could express in words the bliss I experienced this season, I’ll just have to hope that a few accounts of my favorite times will give you somewhat of a glimpse into why each of us players call this place our true home. I am so incredibly blessed and reminded every day.
First, it’s easy to love life when your toes are sunken into a white sand beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, with the city to your back, Diamond Head to your left and surf boards in every other direction. Our trip to Hawaii was one that I will treasure for a lifetime, from the 6 am hike despite a broken foot to beating our first ranked team in D2.
My second favorite memory is of my roommates and teammates in Dorothy day helping me set up a makeshift light room for my photography class, complete with a backdrop, lights, and some incredibly helpful models (peep my VSCO). I cherish every moment I get to spend with them, as they’re a constant reminder that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
Lastly, no feeling can compare to the final point of the GLVC championship watching all the hard work and time we put in pay off after a 5-set match. The fact that we can walk away from this season with a conference ring, a 33-3 winning record, the opportunity to host NCAA regionals in our own gym, and our first ever AVCA No. 1 national ranking earlier in the year is something to be incredibly proud of, even if we fell just short of our ultimate goal.
But it doesn’t stop there. All I could ever ask for is the ability to give back to this team as much as it has given to me. A natty championship is still in this program’s future… until next year.
Love always, your Lewis Flyer,
Tori Foster
