Huskers Advance in Vegas

Las Vegas - The Nebraska bowling team went 1-1 on its first day of competition at the 2025 NCAA Bowling Championship, advancing to a match to go to the national championship. 

The Huskers started with a round one matchup against three-seeded Youngstown State, having gone 6-3 against the Penguins in the regular season. The Big Red started the traditional match with Brenna Hartzler, Anna Callan, Kayla Verstraete, Kayla Starr and Jillian Martin. Callan (215) and Martin (215) led the way for the Cornhuskers, striking seven and six times respectively. Verstraete tallied seven strikes and rolled a 202 for Nebraska. Hartzler started the match off with three straight strikes, and scored a 175. Starr rounded out the Husker lineup with a 166 as Nebraska fell to the Penguins, 1,021-973, as Youngstown State took the first point of the mega-match. 

Youngstown State came out hot with eight-consecutive strikes to end the first game of the total-pinfall baker five match, topping the Huskers, 259-189. In game two, Nebraska substituted Haley Swindle for Hartzler as the team bowled a 178 to the Penguins 206. Youngstown State again ended the third game with eight strikes, bowling a 267 to take a 732-554 total-pin lead in the match. Desiree Buchert was brought in for Starr in the fourth as NU rolled a 220 behind four strikes to start, topping Youngstown State’s 200. Behind 158 pins, Nebraska bowled a 232 over Youngstown State’s 184 in game five, but it wasn’t enough to take a mega-match point as the Penguins won 1,116-1,006, taking the mega-match, 2-0. 

In round two, the Big Red matched up with Wichita State in the losers bracket, a familiar foe for the Huskers, having met them nine times in the season, winning seven. The Huskers started with the same lineup they ended with against Youngstown State, Verstraete leading the way with a 243. Swindle bowled a clean 230, followed by Martin with a 209. Buchert added a 193 and Callan scored a 175 as the Huskers outstruck the Shockers, 32-21, and took the traditional match, 1,050-985. 

NU opened the first game of the total-pinfall baker five match with nine strikes and a 256. The Shockers brought it back in the second, scoring a 236 over the Huskers’ 205. In game three, the Big Red tallied five consecutive strikes, scoring a 245 to take a 83-pin advantage in the match. Wichita State would outscore the Huskers in game four, 210-174, and in game five, 215-208, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Cornhuskers hung on, 1,088-1,048. 

With the 2-0 victory over Wichita State, Nebraska will resume competition tomorrow, April 12, at 11 a.m CT as the Huskers take on Youngstown State e in a mega-match to advance to the national championship against Jacksonville State. 

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