Vanderbilt Claims Southland Bowling League Title
HARAHAN, La. – After three grueling days of competition, No. 3 seed Vanderbilt has laid claim to the 2021 Southland Bowling League Championship. The Commodores downed No. 2 seed Louisiana Tech in match 15 of the tournament, a best-of-seven mega match that was only necessary if the Lady Techsters handed Vanderbilt a loss in the initial championship match (match 13). After capturing the title, the Commodores secured the Southland Bowling League’s automatic berth in the 2021 NCAA Bowling Championship.
The NCAA Women’s Bowling Committee will select a field of 16 teams for the NCAA championship - six automatic qualifiers and 10 at-large teams. The championship will be a double-elimination tournament, featuring 16 teams.
Selections for the 2021 NCAA Bowling Championship will be announced on Wednesday, March 31, via web stream at 3 p.m. on
NCAA.com. The 2021 NCAA championship will be hosted April 7-10 at AMF Pro Bowl Lanes in North Kansas City, Mo.
Elimination Bracket – Fifth Round
No. 2 Louisiana Tech vs. No. 5 Sam Houston
Two-seeded Louisiana Tech earned a trip to the championship match, but Sam Houston did not hand it over willingly. The Lady Techsters blazed out to a 1,006-974 victory over the Bearkats in the traditional game, leaning on Allie Leiendecker’s 246 in the anchor position. Sam Houston fought back in the Baker matchup with a 279 in the No. 5 spot to push the ‘Kats to a 1,099-1,068 win, tying the match at one set apiece and forcing a best-of-seven game.
Louisiana Tech claimed three of the first four games in the final round, but once again, the Bearkats fought back to force a game seven. With a shot at the title on the line, the Lady Techsters outmatched the ‘Kats 174-168 in the final game, cementing their spot in the title match against Vanderbilt.
Championship Match
No. 2 Louisiana Tech vs. No. 3 Vanderbilt
Sunday’s championship match went down to the wire between the Commodores and the Lady Techsters with the decision ultimately going in Vanderbilt’s favor. The Commodores opened with a 1,038-992 win in the traditional matchup, setting the tone for the showdown. However, Louisiana Tech responded with an explosive performance in the Baker set, where Ashley Channell, Kaitlyn Eder and Allie Leiendecker combined for 715 of the Lady Techsters 1,072 for the round, overpowering the Commodores’ score of 1,037.
Louisiana Tech followed suit with three-consecutive victories in the best-of-seven round before closing out with a 4.5-1.5 victory and handing Vandy its first loss of the tournament.
While the Commodores faltered, they responded positively in the Mega Match, a final best-of-seven series that would decide the tournament’s champion. Vanderbilt took games one, three, four and six to close out the tournament and claim its third Southland Bowling League title within the last six years.
All-Tournament Team
Mabel Cummins, Vanderbilt (Most Valuable Bowler)
Angelica Anthony, Vanderbilt
Allie Leiendecker, Louisiana Tech
Danielle Jedlicki, Louisiana Tech
Denise Blankenzee, Sam Houston
Carlene Beyer, Stephen F. Austin