HOUSTON, TX—Bowling perhaps its finest two days of the season, Vanderbilt swept its three rated opponents Sunday to finish third at the Stormin’ LadyJack Classic.
The Commodores competed at a torrid pace with eight of its 17 games at 225 or higher and downed fourth-ranked Central Missouri, seventh rated Sam Houston and fifth rated Stephen F. Austin – the tournament host – to complete a two-day run of nine wins in succession. Vandy ended the event with a 12-2 won-loss mark.
Sticking with a new-found lineup of Katie Stark, Nicole Powell, Rebeca Reguero, Giselle Poss and Robyn Renslow, the ‘Dores won in a variety of ways from blistering starts to outstanding finishes while showing a tough, competitive resolve to fend off opponent’s charges in every game.
“This is as good as I’ve felt leaving a tournament in five years,” said Coach John Williamson. “We showed a grit at times when we could have conceded a game and we executed beautifully the last two days. We averaged 222 today – leaps and bounds better than the rest of the field. We did things we haven’t done in awhile and we did them with some new faces.”
Williamson was quick to note the play from the first two bowlers in his rotation, Stark and Powell.
“At one point Katie had 13 strikes in 16 shots and Nicole kept a good pace in the two slot,” he said. “In one game we had run off three strikes before the other team threw a ball. Their ability to get us off and running was important.”
He also had much to say of the gifted Renslow, the two-time All-American who made the all-tournament team for the second time in three events.
“She is clutch,” Williamson said. “She’s turning into a Josie (Earnest) or Brittni (Hamilton) and we kinda expect her to play at a high level. She led our team in average Friday (211) and to be honest, if I didn’t have the stat sheet I might not have realized what she had done because she does it in such a quiet way. Right now she is as good as anyone in the country.”
After winning two of the first three Baker games against Central Missouri with scores of 290 and 268, Game 4 gave an indication of the theme of the day. Trailing over 30 pins at the halfway mark, Vandy finished with five strikes in a row to pull away and take a 3-1 edge. Another run of five straight in Game 6 was ample to end the match, 4 games to 2.
Next up was defending national champion Sam Houston State. Vanderbilt cruised in the first game but lost two straight games that came down to the 10th frame. Rather than buckle, Vandy rattled off three consecutive wins, helped by the front six in Game 5 and the front four in the sixth and final game.
Stephen F. Austin has been a nemesis much of the season but in the third place game, the ‘Dores spotted the hosts Game 1 and then bowled superbly in winning the next four. Scores of 258-259-233 and a hard-fought 215-212 fifth game included long strings of strikes in every match.
The team’s 12-2 won-loss mark was significant as it gives a major boost to its NCAA portfolio. The Commodores next action is March 6 at their own Columbia 300 Music City Classic.
About the only thing that went wrong for Vanderbilt was Mother Nature. The team’s commercial flight was cancelled due to weather in other parts of the country and it is now hoping to return to campus Monday night.
Vanderbilt Sunday Results
VU 4 Central Missouri 2
VU 4 Sam Houston State 2
VU 4 Stephen F. Austin 1
