Defending Champs Returning To NCAA Elite Eight
3/25/2015 4:44:00 PM | Women's Bowling
For the fourth time in the five-year history of the Sam Houston women's bowling program, the Bearkats are headed to the NCAA Championships.
The SHSU women are one of eight teams that will participate in the NCAA Division I bowling event to be held Thursday through Saturday, April 9-11 at the Tropicana Lanes in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Sam Houston is the defending NCAA national champion. The Bearkats defeated four-time titlist Nebraska in last year's championship final on ESPN.
“Obviously you're always nervous because you're not in the tournament until your name is called,” Sam Houston head coach Brad Hagen said after the NCAA Committee's selections were announced at 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. “But we felt confident that we had done everything we had to do to put ourselves in a position to be selected.”
Win-loss record, results against the top 10 teams in the NCAA RPI standings, strength of schedule and head-to-head scores as among the key factors the committee used to determine the field.
During the 2014-15 season, Sam Houston compiled an overall record of 87 victories and 42 losses in dual match play. That includes a 48-34 record against the teams in the current National Ten Pins Coaches Association (NTCA) top 20. The SHSU women stand 25-25 against teams in the top 10.
All eight berths in the national tournament are at-large selections. Seedings for the Elite Eight are set during the first day of the NCAA event as the squads play a round-robin schedule. Double elimination match play begins on the second day.
Last year's national finalist Nebraska is the top seed. The other six participants are Fairleigh Dickinson, Arkansas State, Vanderbilt, Central Missouri, Stephen F. Austin and Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Bearkats own a 17-22 record against the NCAA field this year.
"Whatever happens, I'm proud to the job our girls have done this year," Hagen said.
