HOUSTON, Texas – The North Carolina A&T bowling team secured the No. 1 seed after Saturday's traditional matches at Sam Houston's Kat Klash. As a result, the Aggies have gone into Sunday's bracket play at a tournament the No. 1 seed in two straight tournaments.                       

Sophomore Melanie Katen is in seventh as an individual. Senior Pamela Warr is in ninth as the duo led the Aggies to a 4-1 finish on Saturday. Katen knocked down 1,054 pins (210.8 average), and Warr totaled 1,049 pins (209.8 average). Senior Ericka Quesada turned in a 1,024-pin effort to average 204.8 to finish 16th. 

A&T, the fifth-ranked team in the nation according to the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, dropped the opening match on Saturday to host and No. 6 SHSU, 1,030-986, despite a 217 total pin performance from Quesada. A&T marched to their No. 1 seed from there. 

A&T knocked down over 1,000 pins in each of the next two matches, a 1,069-828 win over Southern and a 1,097-965 victory over No. 9 Louisiana Tech. 

Warr bowled a season-high 247, and Quesada contributed 236 in the win over Southern. Katen bowled her best match of the day with a 237 to lead the Aggies over Louisiana Tech. 

Senior Cristina Acosta played the first three matches, knocking down 562 pins at a 187.3 average before tagging in sophomore Laura Garcia to play the final two games. Garcia averaged 201.5 pins per match, with a day-high 203 coming in a 938-814 win over No. 14 Delaware State in Game 5. 

The Aggies defeated Jackson State, 993-844, in Game 4 on the shoulders of three 200-plus performances from Katen, Warr and Garcia. 

A&T will take on No. 2 seed Nebraska, the No. 1 ranked team in the NTCA poll, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the championship match. All the action starts at 10 a.m.