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Two top 10 nationally ranked teams and Final Four contenders have scheduled non-conference match against each other for the opening weeks of the upcoming seaosn.
Lewis announced last week that it will travel to play a two-match series against BYU on Jan. 11-12, 2013 in Provo, Utah.
The Fylers ended last season winning the MIVA championship and reaching the four-team NCAA Tournament for the first time in almost 10 years. In addition, the Cougars were ranked No. 4 in the final national coaches poll and just missed receiving the lone at-large bid to the Final Four.
This will be the first meeting between the two schools since BYU on the road swept Lewis during the 2011 season. It will also be the first time since 2009 that the Flyers have traveled to Utah to play the Cougars.
BYU leads the all-time series against Lewis 10-0.
The Flyers did defeat the Cougars in the 2003 NCAA Tournament semifinals en route to winning their program’s first NCAA championship. However, that victory and national title was later vacated because of NCAA rule violations.
Lewis returns five starters from last year’s team that reached the NCAA Tournament semifinals, including All-American outside attacker Jay Petty. BYU has four starters returning from its 2012 season.
The two-match series against BYU will conclude a five-match road trip for Lewis to open the upcoming season.
The Flyers will begin their season with three matches at the UC Santa Barbara Invitational on Jan. 4-5. The field for that non-conference tournament has not been released.