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The defending MPSF champions will open its season with a Midwest road trip against two nationally ranked teams.
BYU in the opening week of the upcoming season has agreed to travel for non-conference matches versus Lewis and Loyola, according to the two MIVA schools recently released 2017 schedules.
This will be the fifth time in the last six years that the Cougars have scheduled non-conferences matches versus the Ramblers and Flyers, including road matches in 2011 and 2014.
Loyola defeated BYU in those two previous home matches but lost a road matches to the Cougars last season. In addition, Lewis at home beat BYU in the opening week the 2014 season and then lost to the Cougars in a rematch the following year.
BYU finished last season winning its third MPSF championship in four seasons and advanced to the NCAA Tournament finals. The Cougars also have multiple All-American starters returning, including outside attackers Jake Langlois and Brenden Sander and the 2016 Bryan Ivie Award winner as the nation’s best opposite Ben Patch.
Loyola after winning two consecutive NCAA championships ended the 2016 season in second place in the MIVA and was upset by its in-state rival Lewis in the conference tournament semifinals. Mark Hulse returns to the sidelines for his second season as the Ramblers head coach, while All-American middle attacker Jeff Jendryk enters his junior season.
Lewis in 2016 advanced to the MIVA Tournament finals and was one game away from making the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. In addition, Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshman All-American opposite Mitch Perinar highlights the team’s returning starters for the upcoming season.
BYU is 13-3 all-time against Lewis and leads the all-time series versus Loyola at 5-3.
The Cougars will play the Flyers on Jan. 6 before playing the Ramblers the following day.