Frequent Flyer Club. First Game: Check; First Win: Check. Lewis University

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1 Lewis University Frequent Flyer Club Season, January 19, 2010 Inside this issue: One Game; One Win 1 Season Preview 2-3 National Poll Conference Standings The Players Side ~Lightning Round~ Flyer Gallery Schedule 8 First Game: Check; First Win: Check Jan 19th, 2010 The Lewis men s volleyball team started regular season play on Friday night. The Flyers, lead by Captains Nathan Klaas, Andy Frontz, and Aaron Flick started the season off on a good note, with a win. Friday night Lewis took on the Milwaukee School of Engineering in their season opener and won in a convincing manner., taking an edge in every aspect of the game. A total of 12 Flyers recorded a kill in the 3-0 win over MSOE. The Flyers now turn their sights on the Golden Dome Classic this weekend in New Jersey where they will play Rutgers and NJIT. Wish us luck as we look to add a couple more games and a couple more wins to our resume. Look to see you at our next home match January 26th against Carthage! Booster Page 9 Varsity Club Form 10

2 Since 2006, Lewis University head men s volleyball coach Dan Friend s squads have improved their finish in the final MIVA standings each season. In order for the trend to continue, Lewis would need to finish first in Sounds like a lofty goal for a team which graduated six seniors, including an All-American. Friend however isn t worried about external expectations. We will surprise people this year, Friend said. We graduated a lot and they helped rebuild the program but we still have guys here who were part of that. They ve looked forward to making a push of their own and putting their stamp on the program. This team will need to look at success from the inside out. We re certainly capable of winning a MIVA Championship but we need to focus on things we control first. The Flyers will rely on five seniors, including two Preseason All-MIVA selections in setter Mike Iandolo and outside hitter Nathan Klaas. Iandolo, a two year starter, was a first team All-MIVA selection last season, recording 1,169 assists. Mike is physically better than last year, Friend said. His vertical is higher and he is stronger. He has a better understanding now of what it will take for us to get where we want to go. Klaas enters the season as the go-to guy at the outside hitter position with the graduation of All-American Drew Pickering. Last season he finished second on the team in kills with 365, hitting.279. This can be Nathan s breakout year, Friend said. He s been a superior supporting player but this year he can take that next step. It doesn t all need to be him, but he needs to take on some of that weight. Iandolo and Klaas have starting experience, however senior Rikki Garma will take on the starting libero role for the first time. He spent last season behind four-year starter Nick Perakes. Rikki has really improved since just the time he s been here, Friend said. He s a much better passer now and is very quick. He has some of the best hands on the team. He learned a lot watching Nicky but he has things he does his own way too. Senior middle blocker Craig Boller and senior setter Andy Frontz are expected to play key roles off the bench. Frontz is a junior college transfer in his third season at Lewis. Last season he saw time in 19 matches. Friend expects him to be more than just a backup in Andy is one of our best pin blockers and will push Mike for the starting spot, Friend said. We will use Andy strategically this year and will make an impact on the court. Boller is a fifth-year senior from Friend s original recruiting class at Lewis. Craig s volleyball IQ is one of the top if not the top on the team, Friend said. He s still recovering from surgery this offseason and once he comes back physically he will do some nice things. I expect him to help out our young middles and be our first reserve. Boller s experience is a big plus considering Friend expects to start redshirt sophomores Aaron Flick and Matt Gallik in the middle. They are stepping into the shoes of four year-starters and All-MIVA performers Billy Sahagian and Alex Vigansky. Flick stands at 6 8 and is touching higher than Sahagian did according to Friend. Page 2

3 Aaron rose to the top of the middles both physically and due to consistent play, Friend said. He can create some havoc and as a two-year captain brings stable leadership to a young team. Gallik redshirted last season after playing in nine matches as a freshman. He will beat a lot of middles at the net with his speed, Friend said. Look for him to surprise some opponents with his quickness. He can also help us from the line with a great serve. The opposite hitter position is more open than the middle for Lewis. Friend expects junior Brian Schmidt and freshman Ian Karbiener to compete for the starting spot. We flipped Brian to the opposite spot and he is improving, Friend said. He has a nice range of attack and pushes hard everyday. Karbiener was an all-state performer during his prep career in Florida. I m excited to see him push for a starting spot as a true freshman, Friend said. He s impressive physically and has competed right away. Junior Brian Muesenfechter will start at the L2 outside hitter spot. He had 14 kills against Ohio State and 20 at Loyola last season. It s an adjustment for him to move to the L2 spot, but he is working hard at it, Friend said. He has great ball control and really helps our passing. He s an excellent server and is improving his play at the pin. Friend will rely on a talented young bench corps. Redshirt freshman Jay Petty will earn time at the outside hitter position and redshirt freshman Chris Biscardi will see time at middle hitter. Junior outside hitter Casey Bennett is a newcomer to the Lewis program, but not to collegiate volleyball. He helped Long Beach City College to consecutive state championships before transferring to Lewis. Casey has done a nice job of adapting to our system, Friend said. We re looking for him to push in that L2 spot. I m eager to see what he can do as the season progresses. Freshman outside hitter Brian Collins and freshman middle hitter Rudy Brynac will compete for playing time in reserve roles this season. Freshmen Roberto Davis, Michael Adams and BJ Boldog will redshirt. Overall Friend feels good about the makeup of the 2010 squad. I feel like the chemistry of the team is better than it s ever been, Friend said. It s not just me saying that. Through individual meetings one common thread has been the guys telling me they all get along and feel like they re on the same page. I think that is very exciting. A visit by Penn State on Jam. 26 and two matches televised on Lakeshore Public Television highlight the 2010 season. Lewis first television game comes on Friday, Feb. 12 against Ohio State at 7 p.m. The Flyers welcome Ball State on Tuesday, April 6 for a 7 p.m. start and Lewis second televised contest. The Flyers earned a No. 14 ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I-II Men's Coaches Top 15 Preseason Poll. I told the guys preseason rankings are usually based off what the team did last year and that this is a new team, Friend said. We ll have to go out there and prove it on the court. Page 3

4 CSTV/AVCA Division I-II Men s Top 15 Coach s Poll Poll #1: January 18th, 2010 Rank School (First-Place Votes) Total Points 2010 Record Last Week 1 Southern California (9) Cal State Northridge (5) Stanford (2) T-3 4 UC Irvine T-3 5 BYU Penn State Pepperdine Long Beach State Hawai i UC Santa Barbara UC San Diego Ohio State T Ohio State T Lewis Saint Francis NR Others receiving votes: Loyola-Chicago 21; Ball State 18 Dropped Out: Ball State (13) Next Poll: January 25th, 2010 MIVA Standings as of January 18,2009 Conference Overall Won Lost Pct Won Lost Pct Loyola (Ill) Ohio State Lewis Grand Canyon Quincy Ball State IPFW Page 4

5 Craig Boller & Rikki Garma Welcome to this week s edition of the Flyer Newsletter Player Side, brought to you by Boller and Rikki. As of now, your Flyers are undefeated and we have the facial hair to show it! We came into our first match after 2 weeks of practice where we had 2-adays, lifting, film sessions, and team bonding experiences. The first week back was already a success as no one went home with a ruptured Achilles or any other season-ending injuries. We also welcomed three new members to our staff, former Lewis All-American Drew Pickering, All-MIVA middle blocker Matt McCarthy, and student manager Marc Denson. We want to thank them for all the work they have already put into our program and look forward to continually working with them this season. Oh, and thanks to Dan and Eli for always doing a good job. We opened the season on January 15 th against MSOE and put up a good showing for our fans. Everyone played well and got a chance to enter the match. A special congratulation goes out to the new guys that recorded their first points in a game as Flyers. Our focus now turns to the Golden Dome Classic where we ll play Rutgers and NJIT. Everyone is excited for our first 15-hour road trip and a chance to miss a couple days of classes. After that we will be home-bound to defend our court against Carthage, and nationally ranked teams - Penn State and Saint Francis. We hope to see you all at our matches! Go Flyers! Page 5

6 Lightning Round Boller: Hey Rikki, do you know what tiny is in Hawaiian? Rikki: Yea, it s makali`i. Boller: False I bet its Rikki Rikki: You re absolutely correct. Hey do you know what daybreakers is in Hawaiian? Boller: Yea, the worst movie ever made, ever. Rikki: Correct again. Boller: I hope someone has a new TV series for our 15-hour bus ride to neh-jit (NJIT). Rikki: I hope there s a sushi train in New Jersey. Boller: Me, too, chiquito hoo-ha! Boller: Hey Rikki, are you excited about team mustaches? Rikki: Oh for sure, hand me my green card and direct me to the border Rikki: Say, when are you gonna start growing yours? Boller: It s only been two weeks. I m gonna need two more months til this bad boy starts glistening. Rikki: I m so glad we have a nice rug and artwork to make the locker room feel like home. Thanks Dan. Boller: I m glad we get extra workouts in when we go to Brothers Home Plate. Thanks Eli. 216 out! Page 6

7 HAPPY BIRTHDAY to: January 21-COACH DAN FRIEND JAY PETTY January 26 CHRIS BISCARDI Page 7

8 Lewis Men s Volleyball Schedule Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result 10/15/09 at Alberta (Can-Am Challenge) # Edmonton, Alb. L, /16/09 at Brandon (Can-Am Challenge) # Edmonton, Alb. W, /17/09 at U. of British Columbia (Can-Am Edmonton, Alb. L, 3-0 Challenge) # at Thompson Rivers (Can-Am Challenge) Edmonton, Alb. L, 3-1 # 10/31/09 at Loyola Tournament # Chicago, Ill. W 11/07/09 vs. Alumni Match # Romeoville, Ill. W, /15/10 vs. Milwaukee School of Engineering Romeoville, Ill. W, 3-0 Golden Dome Classic 01/22/10 at Rutgers-Newark Newark, N.J. 7:00 PM 01/23/10 vs. NJIT Newark, N.J. 4:30 PM 01/26/10 vs. Carthage Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 01/29/10 vs. Penn State Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 01/30/10 vs. Saint Francis (PA) Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 02/02/10 at Quincy * Quincy, Ill. 7:00 PM 02/05/10 at IPFW * Fort Wayne, Ind. 7:00 PM 02/12/10 vs. Ohio State * Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 02/13/10 vs. NJIT Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 02/19/10 at George Mason Fairfax, Va. 7:00 PM 02/20/10 at Juniata Huntingdon, Pa. 7:00 PM 02/23/10 vs. Loyola Chicago * Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 02/26/10 at Ball State * Muncie, Ind. 7:30 PM 03/03/10 at UCLA Los Angeles, Calif. 7:00 PM 03/05/10 at California Baptist Riverside, Calif. 7:00 PM 03/08/10 at UC Irvine Irvine, Calif. 7:00 PM 03/12/10 vs. UC San Diego Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 03/13/10 vs. UC San Diego Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 03/19/10 vs. Juniata Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 03/23/10 at Loyola Chicago * Chicago, Ill. 7:00 PM 03/26/10 vs. Quincy * Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 03/27/10 vs. George Mason Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 03/31/10 vs. IPFW * Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 04/06/10 vs. Ball State * Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 04/10/10 at Ohio State * Columbus, Ohio 7:00 PM 04/16/10 vs. Grand Canyon * Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM 04/17/10 vs. Grand Canyon * Romeoville, Ill. 7:00 PM MIVA Tournament 04/24/10 vs. MIVA First Round TBD TBA 04/28/10 vs. MIVA Semifinals TBD TBA 05/01/10 vs. MIVA Championship TBD TBA 05/06/10 vs. NCAA Championship Semifinals Stanford, Calif. TBA 05/08/10 vs. NCAA Championship Stanford, Calif. TBA Page 8

9 Frequent Flyer Club If you have not yet become a member to the Frequent Flyer Club and/or have not received our information packet, please me at friendda@lewisu.edu. We really appreciate all of your donations and support. BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!!!! Page 9

10 Lewis Men s Volleyball Lewis Varsity Club Membership Benefits Program Varsity Club Benefits Quarterly Newsletter Invites to all Varsity Club events Membership Card for $1 off admission for all home events Lewis University Athletic shirt Two free admissions to any home event Lewis University Athletic golf polo Four free admissions to any home event Complimentary admission for two to Lewis Hall of Fame Banquet Lewis University Athletic wind shirt/pullover Eight free admissions to any home event Two season passes for all athletic events Lewis University Athletic warm-up suit Honorary Coach of the Day for the sport of your choice (sit right on the bench) Two passes to the Lewis Club Suite for any home basketball or volleyball contest at Neil Carey Arena White $50 Red $100 Captain $250 Varsity $500 Champion $1000 The Lewis Athletics Department is governed by the compliance rules and regulations of the NCAA. The following link provides information on the compliance issues you should be aware of as a supporter/booster of Lewis Athletics: Varsity Club Pledge Form Complete this form and mail to: Lewis Athletics, One University Parkway, Romeoville, IL Sign me up at (check one): White Level ($50) Red Level ($100) Captain Level ($250) Varsity Level ($500) Champion Level ($1000) Shirt size A Check payable to Lewis Athletics is enclosed Bill me Payment Options: Name Address City/State/Zip Phone Credit Card type/# Exp. Date Signature Date 32