NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University bowling team earned an automatic bid into the 2022 NCAA National Collegiate Bowling Regional Tournament and will square off against No. 2 Nebraska in the First Round on Friday, April 8 at the Bowl-A-Roll Lanes in Rochester, N.Y.
The Wildcats are a part of the four-team regional pod hosted by Roberts Wesleyan in Rochester, N.Y. The Wildcats will face Nebraska, the No. 2 overall seed in the 16-team field, while Fairleigh Dickinson will take on Sacred Heart in the other First Round matchup in Rochester.
The double-elimination format will advance one winner from each of the four regionals to the National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship in Columbus, Ohio, on April 15-16. It will be the first time the NCAA will use the four regional sites with the winners advancing to eh championship finals.
The regional and championship brackets will be double-elimination, with each round consisting of a best-of-three Mega Match that includes the use of all three team game formats: five-person team match; Baker total pinfall; and best of seven baker match play if the match is tied 1-1 after the first two.
The Wildcats will participate in their first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament after capturing their first East Coast Conference Tournament Championship on March 27. They used the Mega Match format in the finals against Adelphi, winning both the Traditional and Baker formats to win, 2-0.
The Wildcats went 63-47 this season and received votes in the latest NTCA National Poll and is ranked No. 8 in the latest NTCA Division II/III National Poll. They won the Griffin Baker Classic I and finished second at the Mercyhurst Invite and the Hawk Flight Invite.
It will be the first time the Wildcats will face Nebraska in its sixth year of competition. Nebraska is the defending National Champions and is the only team to make every single NCAA National Championship since the inception of the sport in 2003-04. The Huskers are ranked No. 2 in the latest NTCA poll and are 82-27 in matches this year and have won five tournament titles. They are looking for their seventh NCAA National Championship.
Click here to see the 2022 National Collegiate Bowling Selection Show