Bowlers make cut, then lose 'shocker'

Feb. 21, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Before the NCAA sanctioned the sport of women’s bowling early this past decade, the nation’s finest talent bowled on club teams and for NAIA sponsored programs.

While many of today’s high school stars now opt to go the NCAA way, there are still some very strong club teams and they were on display this weekend at the 41st annual Hoosier Classic, an event that draws the largest number of college teams every year.

Vanderbilt brought its top-rated NCAA team to this tournament once again and fought through nine team games to a solid berth in the eight-team match play format to determine the team champion. However, as the No. 4 seed it drew a sticky assignment with perennial power Wichita State, the fifth seed that has enhanced its competitiveness with several excellent international bowlers.

The Commodores won the first game 224-201, sending a message to the Shockers that appeared to take affect early in the second game when WSU opened two of its first three frames. That is about the time the tides turned against the Black and Gold.

“We suffered back-to-back opens on makeable spares with Josie in the fifth and Jessica leading off our sixth frame,” Coach John Williamson recounts, “and when you give a talented team new life you are playing with fire. Wichita took advantage of that opportunity and stopped bowling tight. So instead of us leading 2-0 in a best of five match, it’s now tied and they have the momentum.”

Vanderbilt lost the third game by a narrow 205-200 margin and dropped the deciding game, 217-185, sending it to an earlier than planned exit.

“We seemed to temporarily lose sight of the moment,” Williamson considered. “We lost sight of what it takes to be successful, what it takes to win a big match. This was one of the few times we face a “win-or-go-home” situation so hopefully we learned a hard lesson today. We realized that with the game being so short that miscues loom very big.”

The Commodores had ended Saturday’s first round in third place behind a vastly talented Central Florida team and Wichita State but big days by Pikeville and Webber International pushed those teams to second and third seeds.

Josie Earnest and Jessica Earnest ended the team play among the leading individuals but those standings were not available as this report was being written. Complete coverage is found on bowl.com.

Vanderbilt’s next action comes next weekend in the Birmingham, Ala., suburb of Bessemer at the annual Holiday Classic.

Central Florida defeated Wichita State in the semi-finals and then repeated its Hoosier championship by beating Webber in the final round.

Final Leader board for Seeding
1. 8891 Central Florida
2. 8810 Pikeville
3. 8713 Webber International
4. 8679 Vanderbilt
5. 8672 Wichita State
6. 8571 Lindenwood
7. 8445 McKendree
8. 8249 Bellarmine

Vanderbilt’s Sunday Action

Team Game #7 852 pins
Jessica Earnest 169
Brittany Garcia 188
Kim Carper 160
Brittni Hamilton 181
Josie Earnest 154

Team Game #8 1,024 pins
Jess Earnest 241
Garcia 204
Kayla Rhoades 199
Hamilton 180
Josie Earnest 200

Team Game #9 958 pins
Jess Earnest 223
Garcia 195
Rhoades 173
Hamilton 198
Josie Earnest 169

Match Play

Wichita State defeats Vanderbilt, 3-1
VU 224-201
WS 179-156
WS 205-200
WS 217-185