After notching two wins last week, the women's bowling team heads into the United States Bowling Conference Intercollegiate Team Sectionals this weekend in Fairview Heights, Ill., on a roll.
The 'Hawks defeated the Elmhurst College Bluejays, 959-871, in a five-on-five match, and in a best-of-seven Baker match, 4-1.
It was the first home meet of the season for the 'Hawks.
The victories came a week after they were defeated by the Blue Jays on the road.
"When we played them [before], we hadn't bowled in a few weeks, and we were a little rusty," head coach Amber Griffin said. "[This time], we were ready for them."
Freshman Danielle Sternberg said being at home for the first time helped give them the edge.
"It definitely helped us because that's where we practice," Sternberg said. "It was nice to have friends stop by and watch us."
The 'Hawks were led in the first match by junior Leann Eimermann and sophomore Kayla Schmidt who recorded scores of 222 and 209, respectively. The Bluejays took the first game of the Baker match, 181-173, but the 'Hawks took the next four in a row, securing the victory with a 226-165 win in the fifth game.
With the triumph, Griffin is now excited for the team to keep its momentum going against the nation's top teams.
"We were ranked 17th [by the USBC], so we qualified to get in," Griffin said. "We'll have to bowl 64 Baker games, and the top four teams get to go to nationals. This is the first time we've ever done sectionals, so we're looking forward to it."
The top four teams from each of the four sectionals, determined by total pinfall, will qualify for the 16-team national championship meet in Rockford, Ill., April 15-18.
"I think it will be a good experience for us," Sternberg said. "Especially because we have a young team."
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