LA Tech Athletics Communications
Louisiana Tech’s bowling team is pictured awaiting its national championship bid announcement last month ( Photo courtesy LA Tech Athletics Communications)
LA Tech bowling hopes to strike its way to a national championship beginning today
Louisiana Tech Athletics Communications
NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A breakthrough season culminates with the chance to win a national championship this week for the Louisiana Tech bowling team.
The Lady Techsters hit the lanes today seeded fourth overall and tops in their region at the 2021 National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship. The event is using two days of regional competition for the first time. The winners of each regional will advance to the NCAA championship. The championship matches will be played Friday and Saturday.
Both regional and championship rounds will be played at AMF Pro Bowl Lanes in North Kansas City.
The championship uses a Mega Match Format which is the same as last month’s Southland Bowling League Tournament where the Lady Techsters placed second. The tournament will be double-elimination, with each round consisting of a best-of-three match that includes the use of three team game formats- baker total pin fall, five-person team match and a best-of-seven baker match play.
Regional competition will conclude with one team from each regional bracket advancing to compete in the championship. The champion will be determined using a best-of-seven baker match play. The championship final will air at 5:30 p.m. CT, on Saturday on ESPNU.
The 2020-21 season brought a lot of firsts for the Louisiana Tech women’s bowling team.
The Lady Techsters were consistently ranked in the top-10 all season and earned the highest-ever ranking in program history after taking hold of the No. 5 spot in the February NTCA poll.
Most recently, Louisiana Tech earned its first-ever bid to the National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship.
The team has done all of this without the typical in-person support.
“Last year, we would compete with like 20 or 25 teams,” said Tech sophomore Allie Leiendecker. “We had parents and other spectators behind us. We were all side by side. This year, we had a tournament where there were just six teams.”
The Lady Techsters finished second at four tournaments during the 2020-21 campaign, including the 2021 Southland Bowling League Championships which came down to the wire.
Leiendecker said this year was like a do-over after the pandemic forced sudden cancellation of last year’s postseason.
“We’ve worked so hard this year because we wanted to make it special, especially for the seniors and for us because we didn’t get it last year,” Leiendecker said.
Junior Lindsay Manning said it feels weird to have Louisiana Tech attend the national championship for the first time in program history and not have the bowlers’ parents in attendance.
“I know it hits home for the seniors, too, because it’s their last chance,” Manning said. “We can make it next year when COVID could be cleared up and our parents could get to watch.”
Sophomore Danielle Jedlicki said it is important to be humble going into the NCAA Championships.
“We need to be humble, treat it like a normal tournament and just do what you normally would do,” Jedlicki said. “You can be excited, but keep yourself level.”
Despite the unusual circumstances of the 2020-21 campaign, the Louisiana Tech women’s bowling team is stronger than ever.
“It’s been super fun that we’re a part of making a name for Louisiana Tech,” Manning said. “The seniors helped start it, but we want to keep it going.”