Huskers Earn NCAA Championship Bid

The Nebraska bowling team became one of eight teams to compete at the 2010 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championships as announced today by the NCAA Women's Bowling Committee. The Huskers, who captured the 2009 NCAA Championship title, earn their seventh-consecutive bid into the tournament. Seven other teams will compete for the crown, including top-ranked Maryland Eastern-Shore, No. 2 Vanderbilt and No. 3 Fairleigh Dickinson. Arkansas State University, Central Missouri, Delaware State and New Jersey City will also comprise the field.

The 2010 NCAA tournament will be held at North Brunswick, N.J. on April 8-10. Competition will start on Thursday, April 8, with the qualifying rounds, where each team bowls five regular team games against each of the seven teams in the tournament. Teams will be seeded for bracket play based on their win-loss record during the qualifying rounds. Friday's competition will include four rounds of Baker-style games to determine the final two teams to compete in the championship on Saturday.

New Jersey City University will host the tournament, which is held at the New Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick, N.J. Tickets may be purchased by calling (201) 200-2444.

The championship finals will air live on ESPNU on Saturday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. Central, with a tape-delay on ESPN on Sunday, April 11 at 2 p.m. Central.

Nebraska's NCAA History
Nebraska will compete in its seventh-consecutive NCAA Championship tournament since bowling became an NCAA-sanctioned sport in 2004.

NU captured its first NCAA championship title in 2004. The Huskers then went on to claim their second title in April of 2005 and captured their most recent title in April of 2009. Under Head Coach Bill Straub and Assistant Coach Paul Klempa, the Husker women's bowling teams have won eight national titles.

While team accomplishments have been paramount, numerous Huskers have enjoyed individual success. NU has had at least one All-American in each year for 20 years, dating back to its club program days. Since 1989, 22 Huskers have combined for a total of 44 first-, second- and third-team All-America awards, while Kim Berke (1992), Diandra Hyman (2000), Shannon Pluhowsky (2001, 2004, 2005), Lindsay Baker (2006) and Amanda Burgoyne (2007) were each chosen as the National College Bowler of the Year.

Huskers Ranked Fourth in Latest NTCA Poll
Deemed as one of the closest National Tenpin Coaches Association Polls in history, Maryland-Eastern Shore was ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation, while Vanderbilt, who was February's No. 1 team, earned a No. 2 ranking by six points (566 to 560).

Fairleigh Dickinson climbed to the third place spot with three first place votes, while Nebraska jumped up four spots to No. 4 with two first place votes.

The Huskers moved up from an eighth-place ranking as they won every tournament in the month of February. Most recently, Nebraska earned a second-place finish in the Music City Classic.