Jan. 21, 2017
Individual scoring 
Vanderbilt rode the hot hand of Giselle Poss to the No. 1 seed at the Kutztown Invitational Saturday. The Commodores meet second-seeded McKendree in the first round of Sunday’s championship bracket with the winner advancing to the title match with Maryland-Eastern Shore and Delaware State rounding out the championship foursome.
As Vanderbilt was putting away five of its six opponents for the second day in a row, its lone senior was battling a cold but scorching the Hiester Lanes with her 242.5 average, winning her first collegiate tournament in the process. She had games of 265-241-276-258-195-210.
“I have been sick the last two days and considered telling the coaches and taking myself out of the lineup,” Poss admitted afterward. “It felt as though my brain was half turned off but maybe that helped because I wasn’t thinking so much. I also took what I learned yesterday and was able to see my shape very well today.”
Poss said the team had a good shot on the fresh oil early in the day and that she was aided by playing with her original ball until changing lanes in the fifth game dictated a switch.
The Vanderbilt coaches obviously liked what they saw from Poss.
“She literally kept us in the Long Island game with her 258,” said Coach John Williamson, who noted she was +255 on a day when the team was barely in plus (average over 200) territory. “So much of this game is being lined up and matched up and to her credit, when she started piling up huge numbers she didn’t get complacent.”
Vanderbilt downed Sacred Heart, Saint Francis University, Saint Francis College, Franklin Pierce and Lincoln Memorial. It’s lone setback was a narrow loss to a fast-closing Long Island-Brooklyn, 971-962. The Commodores’ other five games pin counts were all 990 or higher.
The Commodores primarily used the rotation that has been strong in recent appearances but it had all seven of its travel team in the fray by day’s end.
“We didn’t bowl well as a total team today,” Williamson said. “We didn’t execute as well and we will have to bowl better tomorrow to be successful.”
Sunday’s action begins at 7:25 a.m. (CST) and the Vandy-McKendree match spotlights the two nationally highest ranked teams in this 28-team field. McKendree is rated fourth, VU sixth in the last NTCA poll. Vandy averaged 206.1 for its six team games (12, 364 pins) and McKendree – unbeaten at 12-0 here — averaged 203.5 (12,209) to secure second.
