Bowling Squad Maintains No. 19 Ranking in December NTCA Poll
Dec 18, 2015 | Women's Bowling
NEW ORLEANS – The National Tenpin Coaches Association released their second poll of the 2015-2016 season on Thursday, revealing the updated top-25 ranked Division I bowling squads in the country, and the Tulane bowling squad held their 19th-place rank in the country, after earning that ranking in the preseason poll released in October.
Tulane also gained eight additional points in the updated standings, giving them a total of 159 points, which is enough to put them into a tie with St. Francis – Brooklyn for 19th.
This poll marks the third top-20 rank in program history, with the other two times coming back in December of 2014 and at the start of this season.
"I am proud of the ladies to be in 19th at the end of the semester; this ranking has been achieved by a great overall team performance," commented Tulane bowling head coach Hayley Veitch. "With our tougher schedule, we are seeing more highly-ranked teams, but we are definitely stepping up to the challenge of competing with them. We need to continue to raise the standard so we can improve our ranking further; a goal that is in within our sights and our reach."
The Arkansas State Red Wolves hold the top spot in the rankings, claiming 16 first-place votes, followed by University of Nebraska (12), Vanderbilt (3), Central Missouri, and Sam Houston State, to round out the top five. Louisiana Tech remains the lone Southland Bowling league team out of the top-25 rankings, as all other seven teams maintained their spots.
The NTCA will release updated polls at the beginning of the months of February, March, and April, as well as a final poll after the NCAA Championship concludes at the end of April.
No. 19 Tulane finished their fall campaign at 27-27, going 17-10 in Individual Team matches, 7-9 in Baker matches, and 3-8 in Bracket matches. The Green Wave participated in four tournaments this fall, with their best finish coming at their home tournament, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Bowling Invitational, where they took home eight place. The squad also finished 18th at the FDU New Jersey Jamboree, and 10th at the Crusader Classic and Hawk Classic.
Sophomore Michelle Ng leads the Green Wave in all categories during the fall season. The Singapore native totaled 26 games bowled, 5,264 pints knocked down, a 202.46 average, and a season-high of 269, which she bowled against Delaware State at the Hawk Classic.
Tulane will begin its spring season at the KU Invitational in Reading, Pennsylvania, from January 22-24. From there, the Green Wave will head to Texas for two tournaments, the first being the Prairie View A&M Invitational from Jan. 29-31 in Arlington, Texas. After a week off, the squad will head to Houston for a return trip to the SFA Jacks Invitational, from Feb. 12-14. Tulane will then have a month off before their next tournament, which could be the USBC Sectional. However, Tulane will not know if it is eligible to compete in that tournament until the February NTCA rankings are released.
The Green Wave will wrap up their regular season with another repeat tournament, this time in Smyrna, Tenn., where they will compete in the Music City Classic from March 18-20.
Postseason play begins for Tulane on March 25, when they will host the Southland Bowling League Championship in Kenner, La. The tournament will take place from March 25-26, and if the Green Wave place high enough, their season will continue at the NCAA Championships in New Brunswick, N.J., from April 14-16.
National Tenpin Coaches Association December Poll
1. Arkansas State University
2. Nebraska
3. Vanderbilt
t-4. Central Missouri
t-4. Sam Houston State
6. Fairleigh Dickinson
7. Wisconsin-Whitewater
8. Stephen F. Austin
9. McKendree University
10. Maryland-Eastern Shore
t-11. Delaware State
t-11. North Carolina A&T
13. St. Francis University
14. LIU Brooklyn
15. Valparaiso
16. Kutztown University
t-17. Monmouth
t-17. Norfolk State
t-19. Saint Francis Brooklyn College
t-19. Tulane
21. Prairie View A&M
22. Sacred Heart
23. Adelphi
24. Franklin Pierce
25. Elmhurst College
