SMYRNA, Tenn. — The No. 2 Vanderbilt bowling team rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat third-ranked Arkansas State and secure a third-place finish at the Music City Classic on Sunday afternoon.
“For as disappointed as I was with how we played in the first round, I was really proud of what we did in the second,” head coach John Williamson said. “The Arkansas State match was a positive step for postseason play, being down 3-1 against a really good team and having the ability to win games 5 and 6 and make some shots and win game 7. The belief that you can do things like that is super important. You can talk about it, but until you actually come back from a 3-1 deficit, you don’t really have that real-life practice. Our girls were able to do that, so if we get in that situation in the postseason, we have that tangible proof that they can do it.”
Vanderbilt struggled to get momentum rolling as the Commodores fell, 4-1, in their opening round match vs. Arkansas State.
The Dores rebounded in round 2, sweeping No. 12 North Carolina A&T, 4-0. Vandy shot 259 in the game 4 to clinch a spot in the consolation match.
In the final match of the day, Vandy won game 1 by a score of 220-183 but then dropped three straight games to the Red Wolves. Down three games to one, the Commodores clawed their way back into contention behind back-to-back 200-plus pin games. Vanderbilt won its final game, 234-225.
On Saturday, freshman Katelyn Abigania secured a spot on the all-tournament team, compiling scores of 205, 266, 215, 228 and 211 to earn a third-place finish on the individual leaderboard. It’s Abigania’s third all-tournament team honor of the season.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, the program honored seniors Alyssa Ballard and Victoria Varano, as well as Williamson, who will be transition from his role as head coach at the end of the season.
“I appreciate Alyssa and Victoria for their four years,” Williamson said. “Senior day is always one of those special days, because it’s a culmination of all their hard work. They’ve had a lot of success and gotten to do a lot of really neat things. It’s great to see them celebrate with their families and friends. We’ll move onto the conference tournament and go from there, but for now, I’m looking forward to spring break.”
Vanderbilt bowling kicks off its postseason run at the Conference USA Bowling Championships, which will be March 17-22 in Harahan, Louisiana.
Fans can follow Vanderbilt bowling on Facebook, Instagram and X at @VandyBowling.
