Feb. 26, 2010
BESSEMER, Ala. — After two straight tournaments against non-NCAA collegiate teams, Vanderbilt returns to its NCAA base this weekend at Alabama A & M’s Holiday Classic.
“We’re going to see many strong teams here and it kind of starts the stretch run toward the national championship,” says Coach John Williamson. “We have the Holiday, the ECACs, our own Music City Columbia 300 and then it’s time for the NCAA Championship. Everyone is hoping to fine tune their games and we are no exception.”
The Commodores have had a checkered history at this tournament, where lane patterns have at times played a bit less complicated, creating big scores and in the process shrinking the difference between the top teams and the weaker ones.
A year ago, Vanderbilt seemed to scorch the Holiday Lanes on Saturday, building a hefty lead behind some of the top pin falls in school history. The next day, the same Commodore team came out flat and quickly kissed away the lead, ultimately finishing second to Nebraska.
Two years ago the Black and Gold were a so-so fourth while in 2007 Vanderbilt won the event going away.
Vanderbilt will take the same eight-woman travel team that has won one of the three tournaments it’s played since the start of the spring semester. They will need their “A” game going is they are to be successful in a tough field that includes Central Missouri, Nebraska, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Sacred Heart, Arkansas State and host Alabama A & M among others.
Play begins Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at the Holiday Bowl with five traditional team games and concludes Sunday with two more team games and then a Baker bracket to determine the champion.