Oct. 30, 2016
CZECH REPUBLIC—Maria Bulanova completed an outstanding run at defending her European Champions Cup title by finishing second, losing by a mere two pins to Sweden’s Cajsa Wegner in a best-of-three match play thriller.
The Vanderbilt freshman representing her native Russia was remarkably consistent the entire tournament and didn’t have a single game under 200 in running through a semi-final victory over Nicole Sanders of The Netherlands and the title match with Wegner.
Bulanova won the first game against Wegner, 237-214, breaking open a tight game midway through with six strikes in a row. Wegner responded by getting the front six in Game Two to win, 247-217, setting up the deciding third game. The final was 219-217.
In the semifinals, Bulanova dropped the first game (239-205) and then roared back to win 223-191 and 216-204.
She now returns to Vanderbilt’s campus and joins her teammates in preparing for the Commodores season-opening tournament next Friday at Sam Houston State’s Track Kat Klash in Houston.