March 16, 2006

*This article appears in the April 2006 issue of Volleyball Magazine (www.volleyballmag.com), which is on sale now.

After scandal rocked it three years ago, the Lewis University men's team is building toward a bright future.

By John Radtke

The forfeiture of the 2003 NCAA men's volleyball championship is now more an afterthought than a detriment.

The NCAA sanctions are close to coming to an end.

And the Lewis University men's program is moving along just fine, thank you.

No, the Flyers aren't quite ready for a return to the NCAA national semifinals. But with a second-year coach and no seniors on the roster, everyone associated with the Lewis program firmly believes it will only be a matter of time before the Flyers are back playing in the national championship and bringing national recognition to their Romeoville, Ill. campus again.

"We're plugging away," said second-year coach Dan Friend. "Lewis still has that name. Whatever happened happened."

What happened was that after winning the 2003 NCAA title (and becoming the first Division II program to do so), and then returning to the national semifinals in 2004, the Lewis program was found to have used ineligible players. The school voluntarily forfeited the 2003 national championship trophy, coach Dave Deuser resigned after 11 seasons and the program was hit with NCAA sanctions that reduced its number of scholarships and banned it from playing in the postseason through 2005-06.

But that was then and this is now. And Friend, who came to Lewis after a successful run as men's and women's coach at NAIA Newman University in Kansas, has been beating the pavement for quality recruits ever since as he works to reestablish the Lewis program. The Flyers were 17-14 last season and were 3-3 through the end of January this season.

"I wanted the opportunity to coach at this level," Friend said. "I had the opportunity to build an NAIA program and I loved it. I had to leave a program that had 13 returning seniors between the men and the women so there was a lot that went into the thought process in taking a job at a school that had a dark cloud over it.

"But it was also the chance to coach just one sport in a bigger market."

In 2003, Lewis won the national title with a core of international players. While Friend has nothing against that, he believes it's important for him to sell the Lewis program to Midwest recruits first.

"I've been working to re-establish a connection with the club teams in the Midwest," he said. "Lewis has been international and I'm not saying that's bad, but there's a lot of talent in the Midwest."

Of the 19 players on Lewis' roster this season, 12 of them played their high school volleyball in the Midwest.

"I'm excited about that," Friend said. "We've got a good core group of guys. To build a team in one year is impossible but to build it in steps is very possible."

One player the Flyers won't have on the court this season is 6'5" outside Jared Dayton. The Laguna Hills, Calif., native is redshirting this season in what Friend called a coach's decision.

"Not having that type of player on the court means the other guys will take some time to figure it out," Friend said. "We're not eligible for the postseason this year so it's a time for us to learn and gain experience. I think you'll be surprised in a couple years. I think we can get Lewis back to (the national semifinals)."

That's exactly what Friend's players believe as well. And they don't put a lot of thought into what happened before they got there.

"Nobody really thinks about it and we don't talk about it," said freshman OH/DS Drew Pickering, who hails from Wauwatosa, Wis., and has been one of team's statistical leaders early this season.

"When I was looking at schools, I liked how close it was and that the program is excellent and has been for a long time. Plus, academics were high on my list and Lewis is a great school academically. I knew we were all going to be freshmen but that didn't matter. It's a building process and I think it's going to be a great experience."

So does freshman Craig Boller, a 6'8" middle hitter from Bartlett, Ill.

"I'm loving it. It's really great and like nothing I've ever experienced before," said Boller of his first few months at Lewis. "I really liked coach Friend and the things he had to say. He told me I'd be playing right away and that was important to me. I liked what he wants to do with the program. What I see for our future is a national championship."

Pickering agrees.

"National championship," he quickly responded when asked what his goals are for his Lewis career. "We wouldn't be here otherwise."