The Lewis Flyers are the athletic teams that represent Lewis University, located in Romeoville, Illinois, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) for most of its sports since the 1980–81 academic year; while its men's volleyball team competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). Since it is not a sponsored sport at the Division II level, the men's volleyball team is the only program that plays in Division I.
| Lewis Flyers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Lewis University |
| Conference | GLVC–East Division (primary) MIVA (men's volleyball) |
| NCAA | Division II Division I (men's volleyball) |
| Athletic director | John Planek |
| Location | Romeoville, Illinois |
| Varsity teams | 22 |
| Basketball arena | Neil Carey Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Brennan Field |
| Soccer stadium | Lewis Stadium |
| Aquatics center | Lewis Pool |
| Nickname | Flyers |
| Colors | Red and white[1] |
| Website | www |
Prior to joining the NCAA, Lewis was a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member, primarily competing in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) from 1954–55 to 1979–80.
Varsity teams
editLewis competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.
National championships
editTeam
edit| Sport | Association | Division | Year | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball (3) | NAIA (3) | Single (3) | 1974 | Sam Houston State | 3–2 |
| 1975 | Sam Houston State | 2–1 | |||
| 1976 | Lewis–Clark State | 16–8 |
Individual teams
editMen's volleyball
editThe men's volleyball team is the only program that plays in Division I, even though they are a Division II program. The Flyers have qualified for 9 Final Four appearances: 1996, 1998, 2003*, 2004, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 & 2021. In 2003 the men's volleyball team won the NCAA Division I/II National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, defeating BYU in the final, but it later voluntarily gave back its title after an internal investigation found ineligibility issues that were kept private from the NCAA. This disgrace hurt the program for a few years, but they have slowly climbed their way back into the Top-10 rankings of DI-II schools. The Flyers qualified for the NCAA Championship and participated in the 1998 Final Four. In 1998 the Flyers also won their conference title. The Flyers were runners-up to Loyola Chicago in the 2015 NCAA Final. More recently, the Flyers won the MIVA Conference Tournament in both 2019 & 2021. During both seasons, they made it as far as the NCAA Final Four in their playoff push.[2]
Despite being a full member of the GLVC, Lewis will remain an MIVA member, as it was not listed among the inaugural members of GLVC men's volleyball in the spring 2026 season.[3]
Baseball
editAs a member of the NAIA, the Flyers won the NAIA Baseball World Series in 1974, 1975, and 1976 and finished as runners-up in 1966 and 1980.[4]
Club sports
editLewis also competes intercollegiately in rugby as a member of the Chicago Area Rugby Football Union (CARFU).
References
edit- ^ Lewis University Graphic Standards and Manual & Editorial Style Guide (PDF). Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ "Men's Volleyball National Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Men's Volleyball Announced as Next GLVC Sport in 2025-26" (Press release). Great Lakes Valley Conference. July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ "Baseball National Championship Records" (PDF). National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. 2013. p. 1. Retrieved February 2, 2016.