Kenosha, Wis. – The top-ranked Nebraska bowling team defeated fourth-ranked Vanderbilt in the third-place match Sunday to finish third at the Warhawk Invitational at Sheridan Lanes in Kenosha, Wis.
No. 3 Arkansas State defeated fifth-ranked McKendree to win the title.
The Huskers, who began the day as the third seed, dropped their opening-round match to Vanderbilt, 4-0.
NU moved on to play No. 14 Sacred Heart, defeating the Pioneers by a score of 4-2. SHU won the first two games, before the Huskers rebounded to win each of the next four games to close out the match.
In the third-place match against Vanderbilt, the Huskers took the first two games, before the Commodores evened the score at two games apiece. After splitting games five and six, the Huskers bested Vanderbilt in game seven, 214-196, to lock down the third-place finish.
Meghan Straub led the way for the Huskers individually over the weekend, finishing 15th overall with an average of 209.6. Julia Bond finished 17th with an average of 209.2, while Briana Zabierek posted an average of 200 to help the Husker effort.
NU went 9-3 overall on the weekend and defeated six ranked teams.
The Huskers will return to action following winter break at the Mid-Winter Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark., the weekend of Jan. 13-15, 2017. NU finished seventh at the 2016 edition of the tournament, after finishing in the top five in every year in which it had competed from 2007 to 2015. Nebraska won the tournament in 2013.
Warhawk Invitational Final Standings
1. Arkansas State
2. McKendree
3. Nebraska
4. Vanderbilt
5. Stephen F. Austin
6. Sacred Heart
7. Fairleigh Dickinson
8. Wisconsin-Whitewater
9. LIU Brooklyn
10. Adelphi
11. St. Francis (Pa.)
12. Valparaiso
13. Lincoln Memorial
14. Elmhurst
15. Maryville
16. Aurora
17. Lincoln (Mo.)