Smyrna, Tenn. -- Kirsten Moore earned Most Valuable Player honors for the second straight tournament, and the Youngstown State bowling team jumped up to second place to finish qualifying at the Music City Classic on Saturday.
Behind Moore's first-place finish in the traditional format and Madyson Marx placing fifth, the Penguins led the 33-team field on Saturday with 5,300 total pins. YSU totaled 10,282 pins after 10 matches and 50 games of qualifying, and it was just one of six teams to average better than 200 per game.
"The ladies channeled lots of positive energy for each other today and had a lot of fun competing out there together," said YSU head coach Doug Kuberski. "And we elevated our communication across the board, which really empowered us as we navigated crossing the house. We are excited for championship Sunday."
The Penguins went 4-1 in their head-to-head matches, and four of those were against teams ranked in the top seven of the most-recent National Tenpin Coaches Association Top 25 Poll. Youngstown State topped seventh-ranked Louisiana Tech 1,127-975 to begin the morning, and it followed that with a 1,073-950 win over No. 4 and host Vanderbilt. YSU's lone loss was a 40-pin, 1,077-1,037 setback to top-ranked Jacksonville State, and the Penguins ended qualifying with consecutive wins. Youngstown State topped Mount Aloysius 1,005-660, and it finished qualifying with a 1,058-956 victory over No. 5 North Carolina A&T.
Moore was consistent across the house with four of her games ranging from between 233 and 248. Her low game was a 211, but she threw a 233 in game five and finished the day with a four-bagger to win the event by five pins. It was her third tournament win of 2023-24, following her season-opening victory at the Penguin Classic and last month's win at the Mid-Winter Invitational.
Marx started the day with a 268 and ended it with a 242, and her total of 1,121 tied for fifth place and earned her a spot on the all-tournament team. Jade Cote placed 13th with a 1,061 set, Megan Grams was 25th with a 1,017, and Lyndsay Ennis finished 61st with a 931.
The Penguins will be seeded second in Sunday's best-of-seven championship bracket, and two wins will give them the tournament title. YSU will take on top-seeded Jacksonville State to begin the day at 10 a.m. Eastern.
Match 1 vs. No. 7 Louisiana Tech
Lineup: Ennis, Grams, Moore, Marx, Cote
W: 1,127-975 (202-172-238-268-247)
Match 2 vs. Vanderbilt
Lineup: Ennis, Grams, Moore, Marx, Cote
W: 1,073-950 (198-219-240-223-193)
Match 3 vs. No. 1 Jacksonville State
Lineup: Ennis, Grams, Moore, Marx, Cote
L: 1,077-1,037 (214-212-248-166-197)
Match 4 vs. Mount Aloysius
Lineup: Ennis, Grams, Moore, Marx, Cote
W: 1,005-660 (179-203-211-222-190)
Match 5 vs. North Carolina A&T
Lineup: Ennis, Grams, Moore, Marx, Cote
W: 1,058-956 (138-211-233-242-234)
