Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech starts the NCAA Regional today against No. 10 Sam Houston at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. The regional will be broadcast live on BowlTV.com for free all weekend.
The field consists of Alabama State, Belmont Abbey, North Carolina A&T, Sam Houston and the Bulldogs.
Louisiana Tech finished fourth at the Conference USA Championships after falling to No. 3 Youngstown State. The Bulldogs split the pair of matches on the opening day against No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 13 Tulane. Tech stayed alive in the opening match of day two against Vanderbilt.
Patricia Rosales and Allie Leiendecker have been two of the best bowlers in the country this season. The duo are in the top four in averages for players with over 40 games this season at 207.02 and 208.06, respectively. They have combined for 13 top 25 finishes, five top 10, four top five, and each has a tournament MVP honor.
Abbie Leiendecker and Kylee Trexler give the Bulldogs the top two freshmen in the country in terms of averages. Abbie Leiendecker has the top rookie average of 205.511, while Trexler is second with 204.542.
Trexler was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and ranks No. 1 among freshmen in average per frame (20.60), strike percentage (52.5), and Baker double percentage (59.1), while being No. 2 in fill percentage (86), first ball average (9.07), No. 3 in first ball of 9+ (74.9) and No. 5 in spare percentage (74.9) among freshman.
BELMONT ABBY
Belmont Abbey beat Alabama State in the play-in match on Thursday morning after winning the Conference Carolinas. The Crusaders swept through the championship bracket and beat No. 1 seed Walsh in the final match.
Sophomores Aubrey Lloyd and Asah Glover lead the Crusaders in the lineup. Lloyd, the Conference Carolinas Bowler of the Year, has two top-25 finishes and one top-10 finish with a 180.238 average on the season. Glover, an All-Conference selection, has finished in the top 10 once and has a 175.857 average on the season.
SAM HOUSTON
Sam Houston is making their 12th appearance in the NCAA Regional in the past 14 seasons. The Bearkats fell to Youngstown State in the opening match of day two of the CUSA Championship.
Sam Houston and Tech have faced off in the past three postseason, with the Bearkats knocking the Bulldogs out last season and 2021. Tech defeated Sam Houston in the 2022 regional.
Denise Blankenzee has been the top bowler for the Bearkats all season. She has four top 25, two top 10, two top five, and a tournament MVP finish at the Storm Flyer Classic. On the season, Blankenzee has a 207.432 average and ranks No. 2 in 10thg frame scoring average (21.643) and 10thg frame fill percentage (91.4), No. 6 in individual single pin spare percentage (94.4), and No. 8 in frame fill percentage (88.1).
NORTH CAROLINA A&T
North Carolina A&T enters the regional as the No. 4 overall seed. The Aggies are making their fourth consecutive trip and six of the last eight. NCA&T fell to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship.
MEAC Bowler of the Year Lauren Tomaszewski and two-time MEAC Bowler of the Year Melanie Katen lead NCA&T. Maya Avilez, Chloe Newberry, and Katie Robb earned First Team All-Conference honors.
Tomaszewski leads the nation with a 216.073 average on the season with six top 25, five top 10, three top five, and tournament MVP at the MEAC 2. She ranks No. 1 in 10th frame scoring average (22.130) and 10th frame fill percentage (91.6), No. 2 in scoring average (21.705), No. 3 in frame fill percentage (89.5), No. 4 in first ball of 9+ percentage (80.8), No. 5 in strike percentage (56.2) and Baker double percentage (59), No. 6 in first ball average (9.226), No. 13 in single pin spare percentage (92.2),
