The men’s volleyball program has a rich history at Lewis University with great support from the administration and the local community. To build upon this foundation, Lewis head men’s volleyball Coach Dan Friend and program leaders have partnered with its strong alumni base and the community to develop the University’s first-ever Men’s Volleyball Endowment.
Because of this endowment, our program has already seen meaningful benefits — from easing travel expenses and purchasing new gear, to supporting athlete recovery and enhancing the overall student-athlete experience. To date, we’ve raised over $700,000 with over 1,000 gifts from nearly 350 donors. This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without your generosity! Now, we’re ready to take the next step. Our new goal is to grow the Endowment to $1,000,000 over the next five years. To kick things off, Coach Friend is personally pledging $10,000 toward this campaign. I invite you to join him by considering a new pledge — whether a one-time gift or a multi-year commitment.
Coach's Corner
- Hi Lewis fans, allow me to re-introduce myself! I'm Jake Walenga, 2019-grad, back with the program as our new Assistant Coach.
- Firstly, I'd like to give a shout-out to my former teammate Jacob Kerschner for all the great work with the team over the last ~10 years and all the help he's given me in picking up where he left off. I've also really appreciated the guidance and tips given by other legends previously in this role like Matt McCarthy & Bryan Johnwick.
- With my brother Tyler on the team, I'm already familiar with most of the guys, but it's been really exciting to get to know them better and interact with them everyday. We've got an extremely talented group this year and the energy has been great so far in practices & workouts.
- Looking forward to seeing everyone at our Fall Festival coming up shortly and to begin competitions! Go Flyers!
Player Spotlight
Nico Paula & Dan Haber
Nico: Hey Flyers! This Fall, the team is having a lot of fun spending time with each other and getting to know the new guys. So far, we’ve gone to coaches house with the women’s volleyball team, the Warren State Park dunes for some team bonding, and we’ve also started slowly getting accustomed to playing as a team in the gym. After spending my previous years looking up to the upperclassmen, it’s crazy that Haber and I are finally apart of the senior class setting the example for others! Time really does fly when you’re having fun. Our upcoming schedule has a lot of exciting matchups and we are super excited to start ramping up our training hours to get ready for the 2026 season! Go Flyers!
Dan: My name is Daniel Haber and I am a Senior on the Men's Volleyball team. I plan to graduate this Spring with a major in Sports Management. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be back on campus and getting after it with the guys once again! As a team we have been working hard during the fall season, with weekly scrimmages and practices keeping us occupied. With a solid core of returning players and several exciting newcomers, there's a lot of enthusiasm this year. We are all excited for the season to start and can't wait to get on the court! I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunities and experiences LUMVB has given me. Volleyball has brought so much positivity into my life, and I'm not ready to let it go just yet. After this season, I hope to continue playing at the professional level. None of this would be possible without the constant support I've received along the way, and I'm beyond thankful for it.
Thanks Again and Go Flyers!!!