Kats receive auto bid to Cleveland
3/27/2019 5:03:00 PM | Women's Bowling
For the 8th time in the last nine years, the Sam Houston bowling team will get the opportunity to compete for a national championship.
After winning the Southland Bowling League automatic bid the Bearkats learned on Wednesday afternoon they are the No. 3 seed and will face the winner of SFA and Prairie View on Thursday, April 11 at 8 a.m.
“We worked very hard for this, especially over the last month,” said head coach Brad Hagen. “We are excited about this. The good thing about the Southland Bowling League is it is a mini national championship. We have four schools going to the tournament, so it gives us a good look at what we are going to face.”
This is the first year the NCAA has placed 12 teams in the tournament, selecting four teams to the championship site in Cleveland while having the eight remaining teams square off in a one-match play-in to determine the final four teams that will compete at the finals. Last season, the committee placed six teams at the final site, with the Bearkats getting the sixth and final spot.
“I think this was so nerve-racking,” said senior Madysen Keller. “We have worked so hard and we didn't want to have to do the play-in. This is incredible for us and now that we are going to have this opportunity.”
This year's championship will be held at RollHouse Wickliffe which is the same venue the Bearkats won their national championship in 2014.
“Cleveland means so much to this program,” Hagen said. “It was a goal for this team to get back to Cleveland and have a chance to defend our national title there.”
The eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament are the seventh-most all-time. Nebraska leads with 16 appearances, followed by Vanderbilt (14), Maryland-Eastern Shore (13), Central Missouri (13), Arkansas State (12) and Fairleigh Dickinson (12).
Their streak of seven straight appearances is the fourth longest active streak behind Nebraska (16), Vanderbilt (14) and Arkansas State (12).
The championship bracket will be a double-elimination, with each round consisting of a best-of-three match that includes the use of three team game formats- baker total pin fall, five-person team match and a best-of-seven baker match play. The champion will be determined using a best-of-seven baker match play. The championship final will air at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 13 on ESPNU.
