Bowling to Open Season in Wisconsin

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt, the defending national champion, is gearing up for its 2023-24 season opener at the Warhawk Classic hosted by Wisconsin-Whitewater. The tournament will take place from Friday to Sunday at Madison’s Dream Lanes.

Tournament format
Friday’s schedule includes five traditional games starting at 11 a.m.
Saturday’s schedule consists of two traditional games followed by three five-game Baker matches starting at 9:25 a.m.
Sunday’s schedule features four five-game Baker games beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Teams will face each other twice during the tournament, and the final standings will be determined by the total pinfall over the 14 matches.

Competing teams (ranking)
The participating teams include Augustana, Aurora, Carroll, Elmhurst, Kentucky Wesleyan, Marian, Wisconsin-Whitewater (ranked 20th), and Vanderbilt (ranked 1st). Marian is ranked 12th in the Division II/III preseason poll.

Streaming the games
All of Vanderbilt’s games will be streamed on the university’s YouTube channel.

Vanderbilt ranked No. 1
Entering the season, Vanderbilt is ranked as the top team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association preseason poll.

Full roster on the road
Vanderbilt plans to travel with all 10 members of its roster. This includes seniors Jennifer Loredo, Amanda Naujokas, and Caroline Thesier, juniors Kailee Channell, Kaylee Hitt, and Paige Peters, sophomores Alyssa Ballard and Victoria Varano, and freshmen Natalie Kent and Haley Lindley.

Player highlights
Let’s brush up on some player bios:
– Jennifer Loredo: MVP of the 2023 NCAA Championship
– Amanda Naujokas: Provided a steady performance in the NCAA final, giving the team a needed spark
– Caroline Thesier: Second-team All-American in 2023
– Kailee Channell: Returns to the lineup after recovering from hip surgery in 2022
– Kaylee Hitt: Has consistently excelled during her two years in the rotation
– Paige Peters: Two-time All-American and the 2021 National Tenpin Coaches Association Rookie of the Year
– Alyssa Ballard: Third-team All-American as a freshman and Southland Bowling League Rookie of the Year
– Victoria Varano: Honorable mention All-America and World Games silver medalist
– Natalie Kent and Haley Lindley: Making their collegiate debuts

Tournament history
Over the years, Vanderbilt has participated in Whitewater’s tournament five times. Their best result was a third-place finish in 2017, with Maria Bulanova winning the individual title.

Trivia time: Vanderbilt secured its first victory as a program by defeating the Warhawks in January 2005.

Early departure
As it is fall break on Vanderbilt’s campus, the team will be leaving early. They will fly nonstop to Milwaukee on Wednesday night to settle in before their practice session on the Dream Lanes on Thursday afternoon.

For updates on Vanderbilt women’s bowling, follow them on X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @VandyBowling.