Shocker Women's Bowling 24-25 Season

[ShockBand]

It went right past me that for WSU to win the ITC trophy last year they had to defeat the NCAA champion, Jacksonville State. Wow!

It may not be this year, but our next natty will be in Women's Bowling!

[WstateU]

It may not be this year, but our next natty will be in Women's Bowling!

Thinking the same thing, but let’s do it this year.

[ShockBand]

Thinking the same thing, but let’s do it this year.

Let's do it every year!

[SubGod22]

Go Shockers - Women's Bowling Voted 17th in NTCA Preseason Poll

Wichita State women's bowling was selected 17th in the National Tenpin Coaches Association 2024-2025 Preseason Coaches Poll announced Tuesday.

The Shockers are one of just seven schools to receive a first-place vote and the only one to do so outside of the top 10. Reigning NCAA champion Jacksonville State topped the poll, receiving 31 of 50 first-place votes, followed by 2023 NCAA runner-up Arkansas State with five votes. Fellow Conference USA members Youngstown State and Vanderbilt check in at the numbers three and four spots, respectively.

All told, Conference USA represents six of the top ten vote-getters and all 10 conference members are ranked in the top 20. Wichita State is competing as an affiliate member of Conference USA, joining Arkansas State, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Tulane, Valparaiso, Vanderbilt and Youngstown State.

The Shockers return nearly every member of the lineup that won a record 11th Intercollegiate Team Championships national title in 2023-24, defeating NCAA champion Jacksonville State to secure the trophy. Wichita State also won national titles in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2021 to go along with six Intercollegiate Singles Championships winners, including returners Sara Duque Jiménez (2024) and Paige Wagner (2023).

Head coach and former Shocker All-American Holly Harris has served as head coach of the club program since June of 2019 and is a four-time National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Coach of the Year finalist.

The Shockers open the 2024-25 season at the Penguin Classic on October 11-13, hosted by Youngstown State. All nine of Wichita State's road tournaments are hosted by teams either ranked or receiving votes in the NTCA coaches poll, including four of the top five.

The disrespect!

[1972Shocker]

The disrespect!

Seems so. I like it. That chip on the Shockers' shoulders just became a 2x4.

[SubGod22]

[WstateU]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA82Js7vD6b/?igsh=MTRxc3ZwNXh6aTA5dw==

[Kung Wu]

We need a Bowling sub forum. There is no sport on campus that can match the history and potential of this new women's program.

This is VERY likely to happen with a decent NCAA tournament run. :)

[SubGod22]

I respect the sentiment, but even with their success I don't think they're going to generate the activity of either Volleyball or Softball and they share a forum.

[SubGod22]

Go Shockers - RH: WSU Faces Field Filled With Ranked Opponents

It is all new – travel, competition, branding and advance information – except for the essence of the game for Wichita State women's bowling.

"We're still throwing bowling balls down a lane, trying to knock as many pins over as we can," coach Holly Harris. "I keep reminding myself and the girls."

The Shockers open their bowling season on Friday in the Penguin Classic at the Holiday Bowl in Struthers, Ohio. It is WSU's first competition as an NCAA program (the NCAA does not sponsor men's bowling) after joining the athletic department on July 1.

The history of the day is important for one of the nation's storied programs. The Shockers, who own 11 Intercollegiate Team Championships, join the NCAA after a long campaign to elevate the women's program back among other top programs who gradually moved to the NCAA since 2004. All the background won't matter this weekend.

"We're all really excited to get this finally going," graduate student Mary Orf said. "Keeping things as similar to the previous years as possible is the best way to go at this."

The Shockers won the ITC title in 2024 and defeated Jacksonville State, which won the NCAA title seven days earlier. Over the weekend, they face a field with 12 teams ranked or receiving votes in the National Tenpin Coaches Association poll, including No. 2 Arkansas State and No. 3 Youngstown State, the host.

The Shockers are No. 17 and one of 10 Conference USA members in the top 25. CUSA is the nation's top conference, as evidenced by the poll. No. 1 Jacksonville State, Arkansas State, Youngstown State and No. 4 Vanderbilt are also CUSA members.

Competition, the Shockers believe, will be deeper than as a non-NCAA varsity team. At the top, the ITC offered strong competition. NCAA tournaments offer stronger fields during the regular season. As with other NCAA sports, power rankings and at-large bids to the 18-team NCAA Championship drive the schedule.

"That's one of the reasons we wanted to make the jump, the competition is higher quality," Harris said. "Building up how we respond to adversity is huge. In previous years, we didn't get that opportunity very often. I think we're going to feel more prepared at the end of the year because we've had higher quality competition and more chances to learn."

NCAA play will feature more head-to-head competition than previously for WSU, so win-loss records can be used to calculate the RPI. This weekend, the Shockers will play five opponents on Friday and five on Saturday before Sunday's best-of-seven matches determine final standings. The ITC format relied less on head-to-head matchups.

WSU returns most of its lineup from last season, including Intercollegiate Singles Championship winners in Sara Duque Jimenez (2024) and Paige Wagner (2023). Orf earn All-American honors from the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association after holding the anchor spot for the Shockers. Sophomore Ashtyn Woods earned second-team All-American honors last spring.

While Harris and the returners will try to duplicate past routines, there are important differences as an NCAA team. The Shockers will fly to the tournament instead of busing. NCAA bowling requires tournaments to send lane patterns to teams so they can practice on their home lanes. The Shockers can use any of six bowling balls during a match, moving from a heavier to lighter balls as the oil pattern wears down.

"We get a general idea of where we're going to play (on the lane)," Orf said. "And what balls are good, what surfaces are good."

Athletic trainers, a strength coach, nutrition guidance and mental health help also come with the team's move to the athletic department.

"NCAA provides us with a lot of resources that are helpful and prepare us," freshman Morgan Kline said. "This week is definitely crazy with the amount of practices and workouts. We are keeping it on the more-normal side, so there is not that much added pressure."

Friday is the start of new routines and experiences for a program with a history of championship experience.

[1972Shocker]

Penguin Classic - Friday (5 Baker Matches - Baker matches are structured with five players combining to bowl one game, each bowling two frames.)

1. WSU 972- Roberts Weslyan 841
2. WSU 1,098 - #19 Valparaiso 1,018
3. WSU 1,030 - RV Central Missouri 896
4. WSU 992 - #3 Youngstown State 1,157
5. WSU 951 - RV Bryant 837

[1972Shocker]

Penguin Classic - Saturday (5 Traditional Matches - Each with five players each bowl an individual game, with all five games added together.)

1. WSU - #21 McKendree
2. WSU - RV Lewis
3. WSU - #5 Nebaska
4. WSU - RV Mercyhurst
5. WSU - #10 Dusquesne

[Kung Wu]

Penguin Classic - Friday (5 Baker Matches - Baker matches are structured with five players combining to bowl one game, each bowling two frames.)

1. WSU 972- Roberts Weslyan 841
2. WSU 1,098 - #19 Valparaiso 1,018
3. WSU 1,030 - RV Central Missouri 896
4. WSU 992 - #3 Youngstown State 1,157
5. WSU 951 - RV Bryant 837

image.png

[1972Shocker]

Penguin Classic - Saturday (5 Traditional Matches - Each with five players per team bowling an individual game, with all five games added together.)

1. WSU 1054 - #21 McKendree 895
2. WSU 1098 - RV Lewis 884
3. WSU 1213 - #5 Nebaska 1158
4. WSU 1050 - RV Mercyhurst 902
5. WSU 1136 - #10 Dusquesne 1059

Bump and Add Scores.

Nice day of work by the Lady Shocks. Averaging 222 over the 25 games.

[WuDrWu]

Clearly not the reverse Cheetah oil pattern today.



Confident they were using a standard or house oil pattern for those kind of scores (witness the 220+ scores from Nebraska and JSU yesterday) so far. It's not a lot different than the LPGA when the tees are up so damned far that it's 3 wood 8-W left and right all day. In bowling, for the ladies, you don't often see difficult oil patterns.

Now the guys with all the strength and revolutions? Different story. You'll see a lot of Bear and Shark.