Women's Bowling | 10/24/2025 11:04:00 PM
ORLANDO, Fla. – A youthful North Carolina A&T bowling team took to the lanes on Friday to open the 2025-26 season at the Destination Orlando tournament played at AMF Sky Lanes.
The Aggies, ranked seventh nationally in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, went 3-2 during Baker play in their season debut. They totaled 4,682 pins, averaging 187.3, to place 11th after Day 1. The No. 1 team in the country, Jacksonville State, leads the tournament with a 5-0 record and a 5,257 total pinfall (210.3).
The Gamecocks are followed by No. 3 Vanderbilt (5,069), No. 5 Wichita State (5,051), No. 9 Louisiana Tech (5,024), and No. 6 Arkansas State (4,932) in the top five.
A&T opened the tournament and the season against fellow HBCU Florida A&M. With sophomore and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Bowler of the Year Victorya White settled in at anchor, the Aggies led off with senior Juliana Sams, followed by junior Savannah Burgin, sophomore Jasmine Hall, and sophomore Tiana Cruz.
That lineup defeated the Rattlers 917-761. The Aggies looked dominant in Games 2 and 5, combining to out-pin the Rattlers 396-275 to secure the win. The Aggies then faced No. 11 Sacred in their second matchup. Armed with the same lineup that defeated the Rattlers, the Aggies took down Sacred Heart 947-876.
Sacred Heart won Game 1, but the Aggies looked fantastic in Games 2 and 3, recording a better than 200 total pinfall in each game, out-pinning the Pioneers 419-315. The Pioneers did win Game 4, 215-171, but the Aggies closed out the match by winning the fifth game 196-178.
After beating Sacred Heart, the Aggies lost a close match to No. 12 Duquesne 907-901. The Aggies stayed with the same lineup for the third straight contest. They secured a 211-182 win in the first game, then the two teams split the next two. An A&T win still looked promising after the Aggies out-pinned the Duquesne 172-162, but the Dukes had a solid performance in Game 5, winning 213-162 to secure the victory.
The Aggies defeated Alabama A&M in the fourth match, 932-876. The Aggies moved Cruz to the No. 2 spot in the lineup, entered freshman Sara Giraldo at the No. 3 position, and moved Hall from No. 3 to No. 4, while Sams remained the leadoff bowler and White stayed at the anchor position. Alabama A&M won Games 1 and 2 before the Aggies out-pinned the Bulldogs 581-503 the rest of the way to secure their third win of the day.
However, the Aggies ended the day with a loss to Jax State. The nation's top team defeated the Aggies in a highly competitive match, 1,017-985. Freshman Alexa Escamilla saw her first action as a collegiate bowler, entering A&T's lineup at the No. 2 spot. A&T won Games 1, 3 and 5, but in the two games the Gamecocks won, they out-pinned the Aggies 436-346 to avoid defeat.
A&T returns to action on Saturday when traditional-format play begins.
