History being made in men's collegiate volleyball usually constitutes a team from a state other than California winning a championship. But that's small potatoes compared to what Lewis University did at the 2003 National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship in Long Beach May 3.

Lewis, located in Romeoville, Illinois, became the first non-Division I team to win the title in the 34-year history of the championship when they defeated Brigham Young, 42-44, 30-27, 30-21, 23-30, 15-12. The title is the first for the Division II school in any sport.

The title also is the first for a Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) representative.

Brigham Young was looking for its third national title in five years. Lewis was looking for respect in its first title-match appearance. In a match filled with passionate play on both sides of the net, 4,317 fans witnessed a classic defensive battle. Both sides put up huge blocks and provided stellar digs to keep it close throughout. Brigham Young's 10 service aces were countered by Lewis' slightly higher hitting efficiency.

The first game's 42-44 score, the highest scoring game in NCAA men's volleyball this season, was indicative of the battle between a proven champion and an untested dark horse. The game saw 18 lead changes and 37 ties. Brigham Young squeaked out the much-needed two points for the victory.

After regaining their composure in games two and three, the Flyers failed to stop Brigham Young's Luke Slabe on the attack and committed several costly mistakes to give the Cougars the fourth game.

The fifth game was decidedly in the Flyers' favor after they took a commanding 8-3 lead at the changeover. Though the Cougars pulled within one, they never could regain the upper hand. When Rafael Paal sailed one long, the title belonged to Lewis.

Gustavo Meyer scored a match-high 21 kills for Lewis and teammate Fabiano Barreto chipped in 18. The duo helped counter the Cougars' Paal (20 kills) and Jonathan Alleman (18 kills). Jose Martins dished out 55 assists for the Flyers. Carlos Moreno quarterbacked the Cougars' offense with 66 assists.

"Determination is the only word I need when describing this team, from the MIVA tournament to the NCAAs," said Dave Deuser, Lewis head coach.

To get to the final, Lewis downed postseason veteran Pepperdine, 30-27, 29-31, 30-27, 25-30, 15-13. In the other semifinal, the Cougars took care of Penn State, 36-34, 30-25, 28-30, 30-26.

Championship