Women's Bowling | 3/16/2025 6:49:00 PM
SMYRNA, Tenn. – The North Carolina A&T bowling team's traditional warm-up tournament before the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Bowling Championship Tournament, the Music City Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University, went oh so well for the Aggies.
The Aggies, the eighth-ranked team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, ended the tournament on Sunday by winning all three contests they competed in, including two best-of-seven Sunday bracket wins in Baker format to finish fifth. The Aggies went 11-2 for the weekend, going 7-2 against teams from the NTCA top 25.
A&T's performance at the Music City, coupled with winning the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Allen Park, Mich., sectional last week to qualify for the Intercollegiate Team Championship (ITC) nationals, brings about excitement for a team looking for tons of postseason success.
The Aggies had a total pinfall of 11,096 over 55 games played in Baker and traditional format to average 201.7. The Aggies totaled 2,227 pins during bracket play on Sunday. Fourth-ranked Youngstown State won the tournament, followed by second-ranked Jacksonville State, Maryville, third-ranked Vanderbilt and A&T in the top 5.
Sunday's action started with a traditional format match against seventh-ranked Sam Houston State University (SHSU). A&T defeated the Bearkats 980-892, led by senior Chloe Newberry, who posted a 225 total pinfall. Junior Juliana Sams aided her with a 202 pinfall.
After the final traditional match, freshman Victorya White led the Aggies by finishing in 13th place with a total pinfall of 1,241 to average 206.83 over six games. Senior Maya Avilez finished Saturday in 23rd place and did not have that status changed on Sunday, finishing in 23rd with a total pinfall of 1,192 and a six-game average of 198.67.
Newberry also finished among the top 30 bowlers out of the 198 who participated with a 1,183 pinfall and 197.17 average to place 27th. Sams finished just outside the top 30 in 31st with a 1,176 total pinfall, averaging 196 over six games.
A&T came into bracket play as the No. 5 seed and faced sixth-ranked Arkansas State. The Red Wolves came in as the No. 8 seed. A&T won the first two games by out-pinning the Red Wolves 415-366. But the Red Wolves took Game 3 by narrowly winning 211-205. The Aggies returned to form and dominated the next two games. They won the series 4-1 by out-pinning Arkansas State 465-394 over the final two games.
What occurred next for A&T was a big-time showdown with SHSU. Eight pins decided the first two games as the Bearkats beat the Aggies in Game 1, 180-173 before A&T won by the narrowest of margins, beating SHSU 203-202.
Games 3 and 4 were not as close. SHSU won Game 3, 213-171, and A&T evened the series 2-2 with a 201-167. The Aggies took a 3-2 lead in the series with another impressive showing, winning 193-137. SHSU stayed alive with another narrow win in the series, beating A&T 205-202. The Aggies secured Game 7 convincingly, 201-162.
"I love that we were able to catch the moves early and execute well," said Sams. "Going into MEACs after this tournament, I believe we are prepared to execute well and put up a fight to win."
The MEAC tournament is at Buffaloe Lanes on March 21-23 in Raleigh, NC. A&T enters the conference tournament as the regular-season champion for the fifth straight year. The Aggies also enter with an 80-36 record. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) prevented the Aggies from winning four straight MEAC tournaments last season. Therefore, the Aggies will try to win their fourth MEAC tournament in five years.
