NEW ORLEANS, La. – Vanderbilt bowling sits in second place after winning four matches and dropping one on Day 1 of the Colonial Lanes Classic in New Orleans, Louisiana, Friday.
“I think we were pretty steady today,” head coach John Williamson said. “We played everyone on the roster and got some extended opportunity for some of our girls. They competed pretty well for the most part and look to continue it tomorrow”
Friday’s action began with a 1,018-896 win over Wichita State, using a lineup of Isabel Allen, Haley Lindley, Kailee Channell, Victoria Varano and Paige Peters. Round 2 versus Newman was a tight one, the Dores leading 787-759 after four games. Vandy shot 268 to pull away in Game 5 and win the match 1,055-962.
Down 96 pins after two games with Stephen F. Austin, the Commodores battled to cut the lead to five before the final game. The Ladyjacks’ five strikes to end Game 5 halted Vanderbilt’s comeback, and SFA won the match 1,053-1,004.
Vandy bounced back to collect wins over Emmanuel (946-837) and Alabama State (1,035-820) to end the day seeded second with 5,058 pins. The Dores are 12 pins behind Sacred Heart who leads the field. North Carolina A&T (3) and Sam Houston State (4) round out the top four teams after Day 1.
Vanderbilt emptied its bench Friday with all 10 available student-athletes seeing game action.
Saturday’s traditional matches begin at 8:55 a.m. when the Commodores face Sacred Heart. Fans can watch Vanderbilt’s matches on YouTube and follow @VandyBowling on X/Twitter for updates.