Lakeland Anchor's Midwest Dominance

Dallas, Tx.    Lakeland College (MIVA-M10VC/WVC) bagged its first ever national championship title by defeating #1 seeded Illinois (MIVA-BTMVA) at the 2008 national championship tournament.  For the 4^th consecutive year, two MIVA teams met in the national Division 1 final match, thus reasserting Midwest superiority at the 24^th annual national club championship event.  Lakeland had been rebuked in the 2007 final by WVC/MIVA rival UW Oshkosh, and had fallen three consecutive times to Illinois this season before pulling out all the stops to defeat Illinois in the national finals.  Lakeland has been one of the strongest clubs in the nation over the past few years, and it's breakthrough win was well coached and well deserved.  Illinois had a remarkable year, winning the MIVA Championship and entering the national tournament as the #1 overall seed among 48 Division 1 men's teams. Its 2^nd place finish was its highest ever.

Other MIVA club teams finishing strong in Division 1 include Ohio State (BTMVA) (5^th), Minnesota (BTMVA) (Silver Division Winner), Indiana (BTMVA) (Silver Division Finalist), Illinois State (M10VC) (3^rd Division 1AA, and. Purdue (BTMVA) (3^rd Division 1AA). 

2009 NIRSA Championships, April 9-11, 2009, Kansas City, Missouri.

Louisville, KY. MIVA member teams once again distinguished themselves as the most competitive collegiate clubs in the nation. UW-Oshkosh (MIVA-M10VC, WVC) defeated Lakeland College (MIVA-M10VC, WVC) in the finals of the NIRSA Division 1 Championship this past Spring to capture its second national title, while perennial powerhouse Ohio Northern (MIVA-GMMVC) captured its first ever NIRSA national championship by defeating Providence. Congratulations to the Titans and Polar Bears for their exceptional and hard earned accomplishments! UW-Oshkosh is coached by Brian Lumpy Schafer, a former MIVA/WVC player at UW-Oshkosh and the 2005 NIRSA Division 1 National Coach of the Year. Ohio Northern is coached by Brian Hoffman, a former Iowa State (MIVA) player and the 2005 NIRSA Division 2 National Coach of the Year.

The Titans defeated 2007 MIVA Champion Illinois (MIVA-BTMVA) in the Division 1 semi-final, advancing to its third Division 1 final appearance in three years, while MIVA Championship finalist Lakeland overcame Maryland (EIVA Champion) in the other semi-final. In addition to the MIVA placing three teams in the final four of Division 1, Notre Dame (MIVA-M10VC) and Michigan State (MIVA-BTMVA) advanced into the Gold bracket in Division 1, while Miami University (MIVA-GMMVC) charged through to the finals, finishing second in Division 1AA Gold. In Division 3, UW-Oshkosh-2 earned its way to a final-four Gold bracket finish.

2007 marks the third consecutive year where MIVA teams have captured a national championship at the NIRSA tournament. Moreover, the MIVA produced more NIRSA All-Americans in 2007 then any other conference in the country and Lakeland Head Coach Chad Schreiber was named the Division 1 NIRSA National Coach of the Year. Congratulations to all our teams, coaches and distinguished student athletes for their nationally recognized and sportsmanlike accomplishments in 2007.

Congratulations to the following MIVA Division 1 Conference Champions:

• BTMVA Regular Season and Tournament Champions - University of Illinois Fighting Illini