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The two-time defending MIVA champions will make the more than 4,000-mile trek to face the defending NCAA champions during the upcoming season.
Lewis as part of unveiling its 2022 regular season schedule announced it will play a two-match non-conference road series against Hawai’i on March 10-12.
The Flyers and Rainbows both were among the four teams to reach the 2021 NCAA Tournament semifinals and ended that season in the top five of the national rankings. The teams, though, will enter this season needing to replace multiple starters who graduated.
Despite the lineup changes, Lewis still returns multiple All-Americans.
Middle attacker Tyler Mitchem ended last season second in the nation with a .490 attack percentage and was the runner-up for the 2021 Ryan Millar Award as the nation’s top middle attacker. Setter Kevin Kauling also was second in the country averaging 10.84 assists per game and was the runner-up for the 2021 Lloy Ball Award as the nation’s top setter.
Setter Jakob Thelle highlights the starters returning for the Rainbow Warriors. Thelle, a finalist for the 2021 Lloy Ball Award, guided Hawai’i to a nation-best .360 attack percentage and earned NCAA All-Tournament Team honors.
Hawai’i is 17-2 all-time against Lewis and on a four-match winning streak, including sweeping Lewis in the most recent meeting in 2020. The Rainbow Warriors last defeated the Flyers in 2012.
The road series versus Hawai’i will conclude a non-conference slate for Lewis that features seven matches against teams that ended last season nationally ranked.
2022 Lewis regular season schedule
Jan. 2 vs. UC Irvine
Jan. 7 at Lincoln Memorial
Jan. 8 at King
Jan. 11 vs. Maryville
Jan. 14 vs. NJIT
Jan. 15 vs. Saint Francis
Jan. 21 vs. Long Beach State
Jan. 22 vs. Belmont Abbey
Jan. 28 at Pepperdine
Jan. 29 at UCLA
Feb. 4 vs. Central State
Feb. 5 vs. Grand Canyon
Feb. 10 vs. Ball State
Feb. 12 vs. Ohio State
Feb. 17 at Lindenwood
Feb. 18 at Quincy
Feb. 24 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
Feb. 26 at Loyola
March 2 vs. Benedictine
March 4 vs. Emmanuel
March 10 at Hawai’i
March 12 at Hawai’i
March 16 vs. McKendree
March 19 at McKendree
March 24 at Purdue Fort Wayne
March 26 vs. Loyola
March 31 at Ohio State
April 2 at Ball State
April 7 vs. Quincy
April 9 vs. Lindenwood