Photo by: USBC
Former bowler Zavala wins third pro event
10/28/2021 10:58:00 AM | Women's Bowling
By Aaron Smith, USBC Communications
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RENO, Nev. – Former Sam Houston bowler Stephanie Zavala won her third title of the 2021 Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour season Tuesday at the PWBA Reno Classic.
The front-runner for PWBA Rookie of the Year defeated Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona, for the title at the National Bowling Stadium, 207-194, to become the first athlete to record three victories this season.
She earned $10,000 for the win, which was broadcast live on BowlTV.com.
The win also allowed the 25-year-old right-hander to become the first bowler since PWBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Leanne Hulsenberg to win three titles as a rookie on a professional women's bowling tour.
Hulsenberg claimed three victories during her rookie campaign in 1987 and has won 27 career titles.
"This means the world to me," said Zavala, who also won the PWBA Greater Cleveland Open and PWBA BVL Open. "This is all I've dreamed about for so long. I'm out here proving myself day in and day out, and I deserve to be here as much as anybody."
In the title match, Zavala capitalized on a pair of crossover strikes in the third and seventh frames to put together five consecutive strikes to take the lead.
Zavala opened in the eighth frame after leaving a 2-4-8-10 split but bounced back with a strike in the ninth frame to maintain the opportunity to shut out Coté in the 10th.
"I had made a move (in the eighth), but it probably wasn't the right move," said Zavala, who defeated Coté in the title match to win the Greater Cleveland Open. "We were playing a little defense since I had tugged a few shots. In my mind, I was playing it safe and thinking I would get away with it if I tugged it again, but I ended up throwing it decent and the ball never recovered.
"I knew I needed to put some sort of pressure on her (in the ninth). All I could think about was to hit the pocket and pure the shot. Even if I got tapped, as long as I was in the pocket, she was going to be thinking about it."
Coté had recorded strikes in her seventh and eighth frames but was unable to keep the streak intact in the ninth, leaving a 2 pin. After converting the spare, Coté did not connect for a strike on her first delivery in the 10th, giving Zavala the chance to secure the win without a mark in her final frame.
Zavala toppled nine pins on her first shot in the 10th to hoist the Reno Classic trophy.
She entered the season-ending Fall Classic Series, which features the Reno Classic, PWBA Pepsi Classic and PWBA Tour Championship, with a 15,050-point lead in the race for PWBA Rookie of the Year over Breanna Clemmer of Clover, South Carolina.
With her victory Tuesday, Zavala now has expanded her lead to more than 26,300 points with two events remaining in the 2021 season. Clemmer finished the Reno Classic tied for 19th place.
"I'm going to take a minute tonight and enjoy it, but once my alarm clock goes off tomorrow it's right back to business," Zavala said. "What I did yesterday and today might not happen tomorrow. There's a different game plan and mindset, and I'm going to be right back at it."
Coté had earned the top seed for Tuesday's stepladder finals on the strength of an 8-3-1 record in match play earlier in the day at the NBS. She finished match play with a 5,645 total, including bonus pins.
She was in search of her second title of the season and third career PWBA Tour title.
Zavala advanced to the title match by defeating three-time titlist Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, in the semifinals, 233-194. Zavala started the game with strikes on six of her first seven deliveries to build the early advantage and advance.
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RENO, Nev. – Former Sam Houston bowler Stephanie Zavala won her third title of the 2021 Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour season Tuesday at the PWBA Reno Classic.
The front-runner for PWBA Rookie of the Year defeated Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona, for the title at the National Bowling Stadium, 207-194, to become the first athlete to record three victories this season.
She earned $10,000 for the win, which was broadcast live on BowlTV.com.
The win also allowed the 25-year-old right-hander to become the first bowler since PWBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Leanne Hulsenberg to win three titles as a rookie on a professional women's bowling tour.
Hulsenberg claimed three victories during her rookie campaign in 1987 and has won 27 career titles.
"This means the world to me," said Zavala, who also won the PWBA Greater Cleveland Open and PWBA BVL Open. "This is all I've dreamed about for so long. I'm out here proving myself day in and day out, and I deserve to be here as much as anybody."
In the title match, Zavala capitalized on a pair of crossover strikes in the third and seventh frames to put together five consecutive strikes to take the lead.
Zavala opened in the eighth frame after leaving a 2-4-8-10 split but bounced back with a strike in the ninth frame to maintain the opportunity to shut out Coté in the 10th.
"I had made a move (in the eighth), but it probably wasn't the right move," said Zavala, who defeated Coté in the title match to win the Greater Cleveland Open. "We were playing a little defense since I had tugged a few shots. In my mind, I was playing it safe and thinking I would get away with it if I tugged it again, but I ended up throwing it decent and the ball never recovered.
"I knew I needed to put some sort of pressure on her (in the ninth). All I could think about was to hit the pocket and pure the shot. Even if I got tapped, as long as I was in the pocket, she was going to be thinking about it."
Coté had recorded strikes in her seventh and eighth frames but was unable to keep the streak intact in the ninth, leaving a 2 pin. After converting the spare, Coté did not connect for a strike on her first delivery in the 10th, giving Zavala the chance to secure the win without a mark in her final frame.
Zavala toppled nine pins on her first shot in the 10th to hoist the Reno Classic trophy.
She entered the season-ending Fall Classic Series, which features the Reno Classic, PWBA Pepsi Classic and PWBA Tour Championship, with a 15,050-point lead in the race for PWBA Rookie of the Year over Breanna Clemmer of Clover, South Carolina.
With her victory Tuesday, Zavala now has expanded her lead to more than 26,300 points with two events remaining in the 2021 season. Clemmer finished the Reno Classic tied for 19th place.
"I'm going to take a minute tonight and enjoy it, but once my alarm clock goes off tomorrow it's right back to business," Zavala said. "What I did yesterday and today might not happen tomorrow. There's a different game plan and mindset, and I'm going to be right back at it."
Coté had earned the top seed for Tuesday's stepladder finals on the strength of an 8-3-1 record in match play earlier in the day at the NBS. She finished match play with a 5,645 total, including bonus pins.
She was in search of her second title of the season and third career PWBA Tour title.
Zavala advanced to the title match by defeating three-time titlist Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, in the semifinals, 233-194. Zavala started the game with strikes on six of her first seven deliveries to build the early advantage and advance.
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