Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska bowling team is going dancing as the journey for a seventh NCAA title is on the line the Huskers will travel to Pittsburg, Pa., on April 7th for the 2023 NCAA Bowling Regional.
Nebraska, the No. 4 overall seed in the 16-team field, is the top seed in the four-team Pittsburgh Region. The Big Red will be joined by Mercyhurst, Stephen F. Austin, and Duquesne. Competition will take place on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8.
The NCAA regional will feature a double-elimination format with one winner from each of the four regionals advancing to the NCAA Championship in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 14-15.
The regionals will use the Mega Match format. A Mega Match includes a five-person team and baker total pinfall game. The first team to collect two games wins the match. In the event of a 1-1 tie, a best-of-seven baker match will be used to determine a match winner.
The 2022 season was the first time in the NCAA to host four regional sites and a winner advancing to the championship finals.
With today’s NCAA bid announcement, the Husker bowling program continues its reputation as the only program in history to qualify for every National Championship tournament since the NCAA sponsored bowling in the 2003-04 season. The Huskers, who are ranked No. 3 in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, hold a season record of 80-37. The Big Red earned three tournament titles in nine tournaments while posting eight top-five finishes. Nebraska is looking for its seventh National Championship since its most recent title in 2021.
The Huskers possess a strong and dynamic lineup for the post season including All-Americans Crystal Elliott, Kendyl Hofmeister, and Kayla Verstraete and powerhouse freshman Jillian Martin. Martin, the top recruit of the 2022 class, holds three top five finishes and is currently ranked as the #1 player in the country with the highest overall strike percentage of 57.9. Elliott, who was the 2021 NTCA Bowler of the Year, holds the second highest fill percentage for NU at 88.1. Combined, both Verstraete and Hofmeister hold a total of 1,949 completed frames with Hofmeister at 86.8 and Verstraete at 80.8 fill percentage.
In 1990 Nebraska became the first collegiate program in history to win a National Championship for the original Men’s team. The program won five National Championships (1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997) before becoming a varsity sport in 1997-98 where it has since posted an additional eight additional National Championships (1999-IBC, 2001-IBC, 2004-NCAA; 2005-NCAA, 2009-NCAA, 2013-NCAA; 2015-NCAA and 2021-NCAA) while earning runner-up honors on four other occasions.
Regional Match-ups:
Region 1: Arlington, Texas
No. 1 McKendree
Sam Houston
Louisiana Tech
(Prairie View and Fayetteville St. will compete in a single elimination for the final slot April 6th)
Region 2: Lansing, Mich.
No. 2 Vanderbilt
Carthage
Youngstown St.
Maryville (MO)
Region 3: Rochester, N.Y.
No. 3 Arkansas State
Sacred Heart
North Carolina A&T
Medaille
Region 4: Pittsburg, Pa.
No. 4 Nebraska
Mercyhurst
Stephen F. Austin
Duquesne
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