Lewis Sweeps MSOE

[SID]

lewisflyers.collegesports.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/012105aaa.html

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - The Lewis University men's volleyball team disposed of the Milwaukee School of Engineering in a 59-minute match that saw all but two of the Flyer players record a kill.

Lewis (2-3) beat NCAA Division III and provisional Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association member MSOE (0-1) 30-12, 30-23, 30-20.

Lewis played its starters in the first game and then fielded its reserves in the final two games. Game 3 saw Brandon Sisk, J.J. Castellano and Michael China--the Flyers' starting setter and its two liberos--placed in the three outside hitting positions.

Freshman James Wilkes led the team with nine kills and an .800 hitting percentage. He was also one of three Lewis players to record three blocks.

Jared Dayton added six kills and a match-high five digs. Sean Phillips, Enrique Escalante, Sisk and Castellano each had four kills.

No MSOE player had a hitting percentage above .000 and the team combined for a -.133 hitting performance. Lewis helped limit the Raiders offense with 9.5 blocks in three games.

Lewis returns to action next Friday when it travels to MIVA rival IPFW. The Flyers face the Mastodons at 7 p.m.

[luvb]

Worst volleyball match I've ever seen. The match was a joke. Lewis played Sisk at opposite and Castellano (5 foot 10) and China (5 foot 10) at outside hitter in the third game. On top of that J.J. had four kills in the game.

MSOE has been added to the MIVA as a provisional member? They'll get thumped by Clarke. What a sorry state men's volleyball is becoming when you're adding joke programs like MSOE to a league with Ball State, Ohio State, Lewis, Loyola and IPFW. Have we become that desparate for schools to field teams?

[Mr. Pink]

luvb,
While Lewis is far better than MSOE, I think you need a reality check. Take time to look at the big picture and see that the sorry state of men's volleyball has been going on for the last ten years. Its not adding MSOE but losing programs. I think your ignorance for the game of volleyball on the whole contributes to those that cut programs instead of keeping them or creating them. The sport needs more schools to pick up teams. Give MSOE more than three months to build a program.

And do us all a favor and shut your mouth before you say stupid sh_t again.

[vbfan430]

I believe the MIVA is attempting to start a D-III division. To date the D-III teams are Clarke, MSOE, and Carthage. As Clarke has adequately shown over numerous years, D-III teams cannot hang with the big boys in the MIVA.

Growth in men's volleyball has been limited to D-III and NAIA schools. Lack of a D-III league in th Midwest has hindered this growth. The MIVA is providing a place for these teams. Hopefully, over the next several years, D-III schools with excellent club teams, like Dominican and Ohio Northern, will upgrade to varsity status and join the MIVA.

Instead of ripping MSOE, which just hired a new coach this year, we should be glad 10 or 12 more guys have found a place to play. Sorry if not all of them belong on D-I or D-II teams.

[BeachBoy]

Men's Volleyball is never going to flurish and get a whole lot bigger at the D1 or D2 level. Why you ask? Football plain and simple. Any schools that currently have football will find it hardpressed to add another "MENS" sport when they are all ready out of compliance with Title IX.

[diggger33]

vbfan430 said:

Instead of ripping MSOE, which just hired a new coach this year, we should be glad 10 or 12 more guys have found a place to play. Sorry if not all of them belong on D-I or D-II teams.

I agree... if you don't want to watch the match then don't.. No one is forcing you to go. I say the more teams the better.

[benwhipdrofn]

I conpletely agree, you add programs, you add scholarships, you add more aggressive high school teams, you add states making boys volleyball a state approved sport.

I heard Purdue WL added a team too.....any news there?