CANTON, Mich. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's bowling team will compete for the NCAA national championship at the NCAA Tournament, beginning Thursday, April 11 at Super Bowl Lanes.
After falling to UMES in last year's title game, the Knights will look to return to the televised national championship game on Saturday, April 13.
This year, FDU will compete against UMES, Nebraska, Central Missouri, Arkansas State, Sam Houston State, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin-Whitewater for the title.
With former NTCA Coach of the Year Mike LoPresti leading the way, the Knights will use program experience to their advantage this weekend. In the tournament's 10-year existence, the Knights have vied for the title on nine occasions.
The Knights' roster includes three former national champions in seniors Brianna Carlo (Dumont, NJ/Dumont), Jessica Wahler (Dunellen, NJ/Dunellen) and Danielle McEwan (Stony Point, NY/Stony Point), with the latter previously named the tournament's most valuable player. McEwan picked up her third consecutive Northeast Conference Bowler of the Year award last month and is the defending NTCA Division I Bowler of the Year.
Complemented by the experience, the Knights boast strong performers in their underclassmen as well. Freshman Rebecca Fischer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Northgate High School) was named the NEC Rookie of the Year, while sophomore Liat Vizenfeld (Holon, Israel/Campus Kiryat Sharet) earned First Team All-NEC honors.
Freshmen Natasha Ashby (Philadelphia, Pa./Science Leadership Academy) and Nicolette Sarin (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township High School) will join junior Michelle Hunzaker (Cary, NC/Green Hope High School) to round out the Knights' lineup on their quest for the program's third NCAA championship.
The NCAA National Championship Tournament will begin with seven qualifying matches on Thursday, April 11 in which the Knights will face each of the seven other represented teams.
Following Thursday's competition, the teams will be seeded based on their win-loss records for Friday's bracket playFriday will begin the double-elimination bracket play with the final rounds being played on Saturday, April 13.
Up to date information on the NCAA Championship Tournament can be found at FDUKnights.com.
