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San Antonio, Texas - The fifth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers ended the first round of the Bulldog Classic in fourth place and a 3-2 record. The Huskers recorded a total pinfall of 4,954 for a 198.2 average over five matches.
NU started the day against No. 8 Sam Houston State in their first five-game Baker match. It was the first meeting between the two teams this season. The starters for the Huskers were Desiree Buchert, Kayla Starr, Karina Capron, Brenna Hartzler and Haley Swindle. In a first game that was marred by errors and open frames due to poor lane conditions, the Bearkats and the Big Red tied at 180-180. Game two was a similar story in terms of open frames, but it was the Huskers who came out on top 202-156 after strong 9th and 10th frames. The Bearkats answered back in game three after Nebraska was hampered by splits and errors that allowed Sam Houston to win 222-122. The Big Red recovered sone ground in game four, winning 182-168, but a massive game five win would be necessary to come back and win the match. Ultimately, the Bearkats held the Huskers off to win the game 255-245 and the match 981-931, and Nebraska started its weekend with a loss.
Looking to get into the win column, Nebraska played Alabama State next. The Huskers claimed game one of the matchup 181-157, setting the tone early. Seeking a change, NU shuffled their lineup around for game two, moving Swindle to the two spot and Starr to the anchor. Both teams struggled to build any solid momentum as game two resulted in a 177-175 Alabama State win. The Huskers answered with a 221-171 victory to distance themselves from the Hornets. ASU then claimed a close game four 183-173 to bring NU's lead to 62 going into game five. After substituting Capron for Alejandra Sandoval, the Big Red sealed it in the final game, winning handily 206-149 and taking the match 956-827. The win moved the Huskers to a 1-1 record.
Match three pitted the Huskers against Grambling State. Nebraska struck first, securing game one 221-161. They followed up with a dominant 242-162 game two where every part of the lineup shined. The Big Red's momentum continued into game three as they won 220-193. The Huskers' production dipped slightly in game four, but was still enough to win 181-150 to all but secure the match. NU won the last game 193-152 to seal it, moving to 2-1 on the day with a 1,057-818 score.
In match four the Big Red faced off against No. 12 Newman. The Jets were the first to strike, winning a close game one 208-200. An ugly game two from Newman allowed the Huskers to take the match lead with a 187-140 win. Newman then responded to the Huskers with another close game that they won, 201-196. Nebraska answered right back with a 222-181 victory to solidify their lead heading into game five. The last game of the match was no contest, as the Huskers dominated 236-150 to take the match 1,041-880 to move to 3-1.
The Huskers' final opponent of the day was their most challenging yet, the No. 4 Arkansas State Red Wolves. Another lineup change was made to start this match, with Taylor Kretz coming in for Sandoval, and Swindle moving back into the anchor spot. The Red Wolves struck first, 200-166, in a game one that saw the Huskers struggle with errors. Game two would be closer, but Arkansas State prevailed still, 199-183. Both teams bowled well in game three, tying 206-206. The Big Red finally stole a game with a 222-185 game four to keep their chances at the winning the match alive. The Husker put up a good fight to win game five 193-191, but Arkansas State claimed the match 981-970. The loss made the Huskers
The Huskers return to the lanes tomorrow, Nov. 7 at 9:25 a.m. for the first of five traditional matches as they look to improve their standing before bracket round.
Stay up to date with the action by following Nebraska Women's Bowling on X (@HuskerBowling), Instagram (@huskerbowling) and Facebook.
Top Five Standings after Day One
- No. 2 Vanderbilt, 5,095
- No. 3 Wichita State, 5,031
- No. 4 Arkansas State, 5,024
- No. 5 Nebraska, 4,954
- No. 21 Valparaiso, 4,740