ORLANDO, Fla. — Second-ranked Vanderbilt bowling is in fourth place in the team standings at the conclusion of the first day of Destination Orlando hosted by Sacred Heart at AMF Sky Lanes Friday.
That Commodores picked up a pair of wins over ranked opponents on the way to posting a 5,196 total after five Baker matches.
With a starting lineup of Haley Lindley, Dannielle Henderson, Avery Domaguin, Saphyre Nofuente and Katelyn Abigania, the Dores began the morning by defeating No. 6 Youngstown State, 1,089-1,058, after closing with scores of 245 and 240 in the final two games. Vandy followed up with a 33-pin victory over Alabama State, and responded to its first loss of the event by rolling 200-plus totals in all five games against 14th-ranked Niagara en route to a 1,132-874 win, recording the most pins of any team in the field in the fourth round of the day.
Both of the Commodores’ defeats came against nationally ranked opponents after dropping matches to No. 11 Wright State and No. 9 North Carolina A&T.
“Today was a character building day. We had some highlights, including the Niagara match, but even in that match we let some frames get away from us that we would love to have back,” said first-year head coach Josie Barnes. “I think individually Dannielle had a really consistent day, she had no missed makeable spares and moved around in the lineup throughout the matches. It was also nice to see Haley get in a solid set of frames.
“Going into tomorrow we have to be more intentional about our shot making so we can stay ahead of any moves we need to make. Overall we’re in a solid position heading into Day 2.”
The tournament will continue Saturday with five traditional matches in pool play scheduled.
The Dores matches will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook. Fans can follow Vanderbilt bowling on X and Instagram at @VandyBowling for updates.