Feb. 11, 2017
HOUSTON, TX—With its big guns silent, or at least on mute, Vanderbilt struggled to earn the seventh seed Saturday at the Stormin’ Ladyjack Classic despite compiling eight wins in 10 matches.
Pin count, or lack thereof, was the culprit that prevented the Commodores from reaching the title bracket – always one of the team’s primary tournament goals. With a seventh seed, the best they can finish Sunday is fifth in this powerful, 23-team field that features nine of the top 10 ranked teams.
“Today was a continuation of yesterday in many ways,” said Coach John Williamson. “We got off to another slow start and when you spot these great teams 200-300 pins in two games you have dug a deep hole that’s hard to escape. Tomorrow we have to focus on the game at hand and we’ll need to bowl better to be successful.”
Saturday’s wins came over Maryville, Sacred Heart in a squeaker, UAB and Youngstown State while it dropped its only Top 5 matchup to McKendree, by far the most consistent team in this tournament.
Vanderbilt primarily used a rotation of Adel Wahner, Giselle Poss, Katie Stark and Emily Rigney in the third hole, Kristin Quah and Maria Bulanova. Jordan Newham bowled a sparkling 234 in the day’s finale, not coincidentally the team’s best pin production of the two competitive days (1,113). Wagner’s 234 and Bulanova’s 249 were also big contributors in that match.
The fifth-ranked Commodores, who had made a top four seed or better in each tournament this season, normally get high-flying scores from Poss and Bulanova but today each had their ups and downs.
Poss, the lone senior in the lineup, was left to ponder what exactly prevented the pins from falling at their normal rate. It was a frustrating evaluation after a day that tested her composure.
“I felt focused, which is difficult because usually when you feel focused you search for something else that’s not working,” Poss said moments after play concluded. “It was one of those days when it just didn’t happen. I couldn’t carry at times, at other times I thought my body was out of position. What I can take away from today is that I am even more hungry — I want more.”
Despite the inconsistency, which Vandy coaches laid on execution, the proud Commodores never stopped competing. In the McKendree match, which appeared out of reach at several points, Wahner struck out in the 10th for a 209, Poss strung eight strikes in succession for a 256 (after starting with two split opens) and Rigney crafted a 206 to give the team an outside chance.
In the end, there were too many splits and too many missed makeables that stole momentum to manufacture the lofty pin counts required in a quality tournament.
Vanderbilt faces Long Island-Brooklyn, the eighth seed and nation’s seventeenth ranked program, to open Sunday’s bracket.
Wisconsin-Whitewater, which earned the three seed and is perhaps the tourney’s surprise so far, was led by Amanda Van Dunn, whose 230.2 average won the individual competition. Wahner averaged 210 to lead Vanderbilt; she placed 11th.
McKendree, Nebraska and host Stephen F. Austin join Whitewater in the title bracket.
