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The NTCA second-ranked Nebraska women’s bowling team is set to compete this weekend at the Central Missouri Women’s Invitational, held at AMF Pro Bowl Lanes in Kansas City, Mo. The three-day-event will begin on Friday, and will feature seven of the top 10 teams in the country in its 12-team field.
Nebraska Interim Head Coach Paul Klempa believes the team has prepared well for this tournament.
“Practice has been good this past week, we have been working on our skills on and off the lanes,” Klempa said. “I think it has been a pretty good 10 last days, the team is certainly healthier than it has been in the last two tournaments.”
Klempa added that the team worked on building team chemistry since placing third at the Kat Klash two weekends ago. Mentioning that the young team is a much more cohesive group after the recent practice.
With seven of the top 10 teams in the country competing this weekend, The Huskers will have to grind through the weekend’s Baker Format schedule; something Klempa believes NU will do, as the team is the healthiest it has been in the month of February.
“With injuries and illness, we have not been as prepared as we could have been,” Klempa said. “But I think for this one we are healthier and we are as prepared as we can be for this stage.”
The tournament also will provide a good gauge of the Huskers’ progress.
“This tournament is not make-or-break, but it is close. If you do well you stay on pace for making the NCAA’s, if something goes really bad you can seriously hurt your chances of going,” Klempa said. “We cannot afford to lay an egg, but we don’t necessarily have to win this tournament either, if we do well, we will be in good shape. It is an important event, there is no way around that.”
The Central Missouri NCAA Invitational will begin Friday at 11 a.m. with five-game Baker Total Pinfall matches. Saturday will mark the individual competition, as five-person team total pinfall matches starting at 10:45 a.m. The tournament will conclude Sunday with best four of seven Baker Match Play at 8:30 a.m.
Check Huskers.com for updates throughout the weekend.