Lewis schedules 2017 road matches vs. UCLA, USC, UCSB

The tradition of Lewis traveling across the nation for big non-conference matches will continue in the upcoming season.

Lewis recently announced it will play UCLA, USC and UC Santa Barbara as part of a mid-season West Coast road in March.

This trip continues the Flyers’ 23-year streak of going to the West Coast to play non-conference matches against teams in the top 10 or projected to be in the top 10 of the national rankings.

Lewis ended the 2016 season 1-3 in non-conference matches against the MPSF and advanced to the MIVA Tournament finals. The Flyers one-year removed from reaching the NCAA Tournament finals return a majority of starters highlighted with Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshman All-American opposite Mitch Perinar.

Both UCLA and UC Santa Barbara finished last season in the top 10 of the national coaches poll and national media poll.

UCLA last season under U.S. Olympic coach John Speraw earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade. The Bruins following a loss in the NCAA Tournament semifinals return All-American setter Micah Ma’a, All-American outside attacker Jake Arnitz and All-American middle attacker Mitch Stahl.

UC Santa Barbara despite a 2016 season-opening road loss against Lewis finished the season reaching the MPSF Tournament semifinals for the second time in the last three years. In addition, the Gauchos return multiple starters, including all-conference opposite Matt Marsh.

Unlike UCLA and UC Santa Barbara, USC enters the upcoming season after missing the postseason for the second time in almost a decade. The match against the Flyers also will be the first time the two teams have played each other since USC beat Lewis in the 2012 NCAA Tournament semifinals.

These will be three of five non-conference matches for Lewis versus MPSF opponents in the 2017 season. Lewis also will play a home match against Pepperdine in the opening weeks of the season.

Lewis is a combined 7-24 all-time against UCLA, UC Santa Barbara and USC but has at least one win against each program during the last 10 years.