Huskers Set for Competition at Warhawk Invitational

Friday-Sunday, Nov. 10-12, 11 a.m., 9:35 a.m., 8:30 a.m. (CT) – Kenosha, Wis. (Sheridan Lanes)

The second-ranked Nebraska bowling team continues its season this Friday through Sunday at the Warhawk Invitational in Kenosha, Wis. The tournament is hosted by No. 11 Wisconsin-Whitewater.

A total of 18 teams will be competing in Wisconsin, including ranked 13 teams and one team receiving votes in the National Tenpin Coaches Association in the 2017-18 Preseason Poll. The top four teams in the nation and eight of the top-10 teams in the preseason poll will bowl in Wisconsin.

The list of teams joining the Huskers includes No. 1 McKendree,No. 3 Arkansas State, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 6 Stephen F. Austin, No. 8 Fairleigh Dickinson, No. 9 Sacred Heart, No. 10 Central Missouri, No. 13 Monmouth, No. 14 St. Francis, No. 15 Adelphi, No. 16 Long Island Brooklyn, Lincoln Memorial (RV), Maryville, Valparaiso, Lincoln Missouri, Elmhurst, along with the hosts, Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The Huskers head to the Warhawk Invitational with two consecutive tournament title wins to open the season, after defeating top-ranked McKendree in Sunday’s championship match at the Track Kat Klash. NU finished with a 10-2 record and a total pinfall of 12,462. Junior Meghan Straub led the team, placing second in the individual standings after playing for an average of 218.2. 

Competition begins Friday morning at 11 a.m. with five sets of five-game Baker matches, followed by five traditional matches on Saturday morning, beginning at 9:35 a.m. Combined results from Friday and Saturday will determine the seeding for Sunday’s bracket-play championship tournament, in which each team will play three rounds of best-of-seven Baker matches beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Warhawk Invitational Notes

The Huskers grabbed a third-place finish last season after defeating Vanderbilt in the third-place match. Overall, the team went 9-3 overall on the weekend and defeated six ranked teams. During the 2015-16 season, NU swept Central Missouri 4-0 for the tournament title. The 2015-16 edition was the first season since 2008 that the Huskers competed in a tournament hosted by Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Huskers also competed at tournaments hosted by Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007

Huskers Take First at Track Kat Klash

The Cornhuskers went 10-2 the weekend of Nov. 3-5 at Emerald Lanes in Houston.  After defeating No. 1 Mckendree in the opening match of the championship tournament, the Huskers were sent straight to the championship match. McKendree went on to beat No. 3 Arkansas State for a rematch against the Huskers in the championship match. With a final score of 4-1, the Huskers defeated the Bearcats, winning the tournament title.

Huskers Open Season With First-Place FinishThe Huskers started the 2017-18 season by winning the title at the Brunswick Bearcat Open over the weekend of Oct. 27-29. After falling to No. 1 ranked McKendree in the opening round of the championship tournament, the Huskers defeated No. 6 Stephen F. Austin in a roll off after tying 3.5-3.5, sending them to a rematch with McKendree for the championship title. The Huskers defeated McKendree by a score of 4-3 to earn the title. NU went 11-2 overall during the tournament.

All-Americans Return in 2017-18The Huskers will be led by the trio of Julia Bond, Kelly Belzeski, and Meghan Straub, who each received All-America honors in 2016-17. Bond led the team last season with a season average of 212. As a returning All-American and a co-captain this season, Bond is a force to be reckoned with in the Nebraska lineup. Honorable-mention All-American Belzeski was second on the team last season with an average of 203.8. Straub ended her sophomore season with an average of 198.7 and an honorable-mention All-American award. Sophomore Raquel Orozco returns as a strong contender for one of the spots on the five-player rotation after her 2016-17 season average of 202.3.

 

Warhawk Invitational-Teams Competing

No. 1 McKendree
No. 2 Nebraska
No. 3 Arkansas State
No. 4 Vanderbilt
No. 6 Stephen F. Austin
No. 8 Fairleigh Dickenson
No. 9 Sacred Heart
No. 10 Central Missouri
No. 11 Wisconsin-Whitewater
No. 13 Monmouth
No. 14 St. Francis
No. 15 Adelphi
No. 16 Long Island Brooklyn
Lincoln Memorial (RV)
Elmhurst
Lincoln Missouri
Maryville
Valparaiso