Three Huskers Help Team USA Take Home Gold

Kowloon, Hong Kong - Three past and present Huskers helped the Team USA women finish strong in the final day of the IBF World Championships as Jillian Martin, Julia Bond, and Shannon Pluhowsky made sure the Stars and Stripes came home with gold medals.

Team USA was guaranteed a medal on Friday just by reaching the Women's Team semifinals. They would begin play against Korea, who would win the first game of the best two-of-three Baker series with a scoreline of 257-234. The Americans bounced back to take game two 221-151, followed by a decisive 212-160 game three victory, which moved them on to play for gold.

They would face the Malaysian squad, which included Professional Women's Bowling Association champion Siti Rahman, 2025 PWBA Rookie of the Year Gillian Lim, and 2024 PWBA Player of the Year Li Jane Sin.

The Malaysians would take the first game in a low-scoring affair of 191-179, but the U.S. responded just as they had in the match prior, winning game two 200-159 to force game three. The final game remained close, but Team USA kept the ball rolling, ultimately winning 199-185 to claim the match victory and, more importantly, the Women's Team gold medal.

The victory also placed Team USA at the top of the standings as the overall women's federation champions, earning them yet another gold medal.

After the match, Martin described how much the victory meant for her and her teammates.

“Having the opportunity to compete and ultimately win with this team was amazing,” Martin said. “I am grateful for everyone who made it possible. Our ups and downs throughout the week allowed us to grow, and we came together when it truly mattered. Our grit and resilience allowed us to compete at the highest level and ultimately come out on top. Being able to win again on this stage with such an amazing group of women is a moment I will never forget.”

Martin, Bond, and Pluhowsky all posted strong individual performances over the course of the Championships, with Pluhowsky earning silver for her contributions across all events while Martin and Bond claimed bronze in the women's doubles event. 

Martin and Bond will return stateside to rejoin their fellow Huskers when the team resumes play on Jan. 16, 2026, in the Northeast Classic.

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