Vanderbilt's only national championship team is back in familiar territory.
The top-ranked Commodore bowling team heads back to the NCAA Championships on Wednesday, leading a field of eight teams that includes all five teams that have won the national title since it began in 2004.
Defending national champion Maryland-Eastern Shore, as well as Nebraska, Central Missouri, Arkansas State, New Jersey City, Fairleigh Dickinson and Delaware State are also in the field of elite squads competing for the championship. One year ago, Maryland-Eastern Shore came from behind to eliminate Vanderbilt in the semifinals of the tournament, 4-3, and ruin any chance of the team defending its 2007 national title.
Despite the pressure of championship play upon them, the Commodores are not changing up their routine much. After all, coming off a year that has seen them win a record five tournaments, there doesn't seem to be a need to fix what isn't broken.
"To prepare, our practice formats mainly stay the same," said senior Tara Kane. "We practice spare shooting and practice in the baker and team-game formats that will expect at the national tournament."
In the NCAA Championships, Baker games are involved in the match-up. In this style of play, five bowlers from each team bowl two frames apiece in a 10-frame game, with the first bowler doing frames one and six, the second bowler doing frames two and seven and so forth. The first day of competition is very important in deciding seeding for the remainder of the tournament. The Commodores earned a No. 3 seed after the first day in their 2007 national title run and a No. 2 seed last season.
As Kane said, a focus on spare conversion will be key to the team's chances of capturing its second national title in three years. The team excelled in that regard in 2007 but struggled in 2008 en route to its surprising early exit.
This season, as always, the bowlers are intent on having a level-headed attitude throughout the tournament.
"There is a serious emphasis on focus and consistency, but coach also wants us to have fun with practice so we can replicate that attitude in Detroit," Kane said. "Being relaxed will be key to a good performance."
Fellow senior Michelle Peloquin agreed.
"Usually the team that is most successful is the one that is relaxed and has fun while competing, so I hope that's what we can do," she said.
