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Senior setter Matt Yoshimoto in the final weeks of his college career added to resume an accomplishment that no Lewis player had achieved in 10 years.
Yoshimoto was selected on Thursday as the 2019 MIVA Player of the Year by a voting committee of conference head coaches.
The setter guided the Lewis offense to a conference-best .309 attack percentage during the regular season. Yoshimoto also led the nation with a 0.64 aces per game average, including having at least four aces in four MIVA matches.
Along with his offensive performance, Yoshimoto was among the conference leaders with a 1.93 digs per game average and had double-digit digs in five conference matches.
Lewis won the MIVA regular season championship and earned the No. 1 seed to the MIVA Tournament.
Yoshimoto is the third Flyer in their program history to earn the MIVA Player of the Year and the first since Drew Pickering in 2009. He also is the first setter to win the award since Ohio State’s Steven Kehoe in 2011.
Yoshimoto was one of the two Flyers to earn the top individual awards from the MIVA this year. Lewis coach Dan Friend and McKendree coach Nickie Sanlin were named the Co-MIVA Coach of the Year.
McKendree setter Ryan Serrano also received the MIVA Freshman of the Year.
MIVA Awards
2019 MIVA Player of the Year: Matt Yoshimoto, Lewis
2019 MIVA Freshman of the Year: Ryan Serrano, McKendree
2019 MIVA Co-Coach of the Year: Dan Friend, Lewis
2019 MIVA Co-Coach of the Year: Nickie Sanlin, McKendree
2019 First-Team All-MIVA
Setter: Michael Keegan, Purdue Fort Wayne
Setter: Matt Yoshimoto, Lewis
Setter: Garrett Zolg, Loyola
Opposite: Jake Hanes, Ohio State
Outside attacker: Ryan Coenen, Lewis
Outside attacker: Collin Mahan, Loyola
Outside attacker: Matt Szews, Ball State
Outside attacker: Pelegrin Vargas, Purdue Fort Wayne
Middle attacker: Wyatt Dimke, McKendree
Middle attacker: Blake Leeson, Ohio State
Middle attacker: Tyler Mitchem, Lewis
Libero: Michael Simmons, Lewis
2019 Second-Team All-MIVA
Setter: Adam Brewster, Lindenwood
Setter: Ryan Serrano, McKendree
Opposite: Zach Schnittker, McKendree
Outside attacker: Julian Moses, Lewis
Outside attacker: Will Tischler, Loyola
Outside attacker: Omari Wheeler, Quincy
Middle attacker: Richie Diedrich, Purdue Fort Wayne
Middle attacker: Connor Hipelius, Lindenwood
Middle attacker: TJ Murray, Lewis
Middle attacker: Paul Narup, Loyola
Middle attacker: Parker Swartz, Ball State
Libero: Avery Aylsworth, Loyola
2019 MIVA All–Freshman Team
Setter: Ryan Serrano, McKendree
Opposite: Luke Denton, Loyola
Outside attacker: Kaleb Jenness, Ball State
Outside attacker: Diego Negron, Lindenwood
Outside attacker: Phil Swartz, Lindenwood
Middle attacker: Ethan Talley, Ohio State
Libero: Noam Hannoun, Quincy