Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University bowling team has moved up a spot to No. 8 in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Poll announced Thursday. The Dukes tallied 1,160 points as part of the NTCA March poll.
Jacksonville State remains in the top spot after earning 44 first-place votes and 1,977 points. Arkansas State, which claimed seven first-place votes and 1,820 points, moves up to No. 2, while rounding out the top five is Youngstown State (1,710), Vanderbilt (1,660) and North Carolina A&T (1,548).
Nebraska is ranked sixth in the NTCA March poll after accumulating 1,466 points, followed by Louisiana Tech (1,376) and the Dukes. Maryville (1,136) and Sam Houston State (1,102) round out the top 10.
Led by head coach
Jody Fetterhoff, the Dukes have compiled an overall record of 68-30 (.694), matching a program record for victories originally established last season. Duquesne also claimed its second consecutive Northeast Conference (NEC) regular-season championship, as well as the program's first outright title, with a 17-4 (.810) league mark.
A pair of Dukes rank in the top 50 in the Player Compositive Performance Index (PCPI) as the stretch run of the 2023-24 campaign commences. Graduate student
Kiearra Saldi ranks 36th with a PCPI of 83.279 percent, while senior
Shannon Small is two spots behind Saldi in 38th at 81.806 percent.
Saldi leads the Dukes this season in traditional play with a frame average of 19.86 and ranks second for Duquesne in strikes (301) to Small's 303. Small, meanwhile, averages 19.53 per frame in traditional play as well as 20.13 per frame in Baker competition. Duquesne has been led by junior
Ranelle Ulanday in Baker format with an average frame of 20.25, while Saldi has compiled a 20.19 frame average in the same format along with a team-high 177 strikes.
The Dukes are next in action with the ISC & ITC Sectionals, which take place Friday, March 8, through Sunday, March 10 in Chicago, Ill., at Stardust Bowl. The 2024 NEC Championships are set for Friday, March 22, through Sunday, March 24, at Hamilton Lanes in Hamilton, N.J.
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