ARLINGTON, Texas – The Aggies and the Bulldogs. It has been a significant plotline for the narrative that is the North Carolina A&T women's bowling team's 2021-22 campaign. That story will continue in Arlington this weekend as A&T will face off against Louisiana Tech in the first round of the NCAA Championship Bowling Tournament.    

The field at the Arlington Regional also includes No. 4 Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin. 

Just as with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship Bowling Tournament, the goal was never to get back to the NCAA tournament. A&T coach Kim Terrell-Kearney has much bigger plans on her mind, like hoisting a trophy at next week's Final Four in Ohio. But, she is confident her team can get the job done. 

"As the last couple of weeks of the season have gone by, this group has changed," said Terrell-Kearney. "I think before that, we were pressing, and we just weren't playing well. Since then, we've gotten to a place where they've bought in.

I've reminded them that you have to love who you are right now, how you play, and who you're going to show up as. It has worked. There's an ease about who we are when we're together, and I think that's how we have to be to win." 

Arlington is an essential place for the Aggies, as they have played in 13 matches there already this season. 

At the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) International Bowling Campus, the site of A&T's regional round, Terrell-Kearney found out about her selection to the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Hall of Fame back in February. 

"There's a comfort being here, certainly for me because I worked here for eight years," said Terrell-Kearney. "Lauren (Tomaszewski) is from here. So it's home for her. It's where she practices a lot, and so as a group, we're at home, and I think that will serve us well." 

The Aggies will begin play on Friday at 9 a.m., and the matches will be in Mega Match format. Mega Match is a best-of-three decision consisting of Baker play, followed by an individual traditional match and then a winner-take-all, best-of-seven Baker match if necessary. 

Notes: 

• A&T is 3-5 against LA Tech this season and 14-12 in the state of Texas. 
• They are 8-9 against the teams in their region. 
• The Aggies are looking to avenge last season's NCAA elimination to Arkansas State. 
• Terrell-Kearney has made it to the Final Four once when she was the head coach at Delaware State (2009)