Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks at No. 7 in NTCA preseason rankings

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Women's Bowling team showed up at No. 7 on the opening National Tenpins Coaches Association poll of the season, one spot higher than the squad finished the 2017-18 season.

"I was a little surprised because we finished the season ranked eighth, so it was a gratifying seventh," Hawks head coach Kayla Bandy said. "It's based off other coaches and their opinion of your program and who you brought in. Looking at our program, they knew that last year we had no All-Americans and we were still ranked in the Top 10 of the country consistently throughout the season."

Despite key losses from last year's team, the Hawks strong showing in the poll — among a group of coaches who pride themselves on voting knowledgeably — is a testament to the status of the program.

"It is an opinion poll, but I think the coaches look at a lot of factors," Bandy said. "When I go to vote for a team I am looking at the coach's ability, the talent they have on their team and what they have historically done the previous season. I think all those factors played into where we were voted."

They Hawks returned six players from last year's squad including seniors Alexandra Hernandez (Maracaibo, Venezuela), Quianna Macares (Willenstad Curacao) and Danielle August (Milillani, Hawaii) as well as juniors Brigitte Jacobs (Freeport, Illinois) and Cayla Hicks (Salem, Virginia) and sophomore Paulina Torres (Ponce Puerto Rico).

They also added one new face in Isabel Hughes (Raleigh, North Carolina).

The National Tenpin Coaches Association
2018-2019 Preseason Poll
October 3, 2018

No. 1 Adjusted Previously
Votes Division Points Ranked
1 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 32 I 1497 1
2 McKendree University, Lebanon, IL 6 II 1409 2
3 University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 1 I 1320 3
4 Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX I 1222 5
5 Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 1 I 1194 4
6 Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX I 1092 6
7 University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD I 942 8
8 Delaware State University, Dover, DE I 888 7
9 Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ I 811 9
10 Tulane University, New Orleans, LA I 780 10
11 North Carolina A&T, Greensboro, NC I 712 13
12 Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT I 666 11
13 St. Francis University, Loretto, PA I 528 12
14 Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN II 442 17
15 Adelphi University, Garden City, NY II 389 14
16 University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, AL I 375 16
17 Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA I 342 20
18 University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO II 336 18
19 LIU Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY I 330 15
20 Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA I 267 19
21 University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, WI III 222 21
22 Maryville University, St. Louis, MO II 180 23
23 Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ I 129 24
24 Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA II 125 22
25 Texas Southern University, Houston, TX I 19 NR

Also receiving points:
Youngstown State, Youngstown, OH; Valparaiso University, Valparaiso IN; Norfolk State, Norfolk VA; Jackson State University, Jackson, MS; St. Francis College Brooklyn, Brooklyn N;, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL; Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX

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