Even with the changes that came with joining NCAA competition — from longer tournaments to near-weekly road trips — Wichita State’s women’s bowling team embraced the challenge and delivered a debut season most programs could only dream of.

The Shockers did the improbable by coming back from the elimination bracket to win the Conference USA Tournament and matched that by sweeping their way to an NCAA Tournament Final Four berth at the Lansing Regional.

“Making it to the Final Four was a big moment for us,” senior Paige Wagner said. “Just knowing that we were able to do that was really cool, especially with it being our first year.”

With a year of NCAA experience behind them, Wichita State is looking to build on last season’s magic and simultaneously create a foundation of continued success in their new era. Head coach Holly Harris said the familiarity of year two brings a welcome sense of clarity.

“(We have) a little bit of confidence in knowing what’s ahead of us,” Harris said. 

That confidence will be tested early. Ranked No. 5 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association preseason poll, the Shockers enter the season in the national spotlight — but they’re focused on what’s ahead.

“We saw it at first, but we didn’t really dig deep into it,” Wagner said. “We just kind of saw it and kept going.”

“It doesn’t really mean a whole lot to us,” junior Aleesha Oden added. “We’re just going to go and bowl, and whatever happens happens.”

Despite the national attention and a top-five ranking, the team remains grounded. Oden, who was named Most Outstanding Bowler at the CUSA tournament, has grown to know that you can only control what you do until the foul line. From there, whatever break you get is the one you’re dealt. 

Those processes have become a guiding light for the team.

“As long as we do that, we usually figure it out and we see the results,” Oden said. “The biggest thing is having fun with it, and that usually brings the good. Then, just staying within ourselves and what we call ‘our house.’”

The “our house” metaphor became a rallying point last season, especially in high-pressure moments, like at the CUSA Tournament. It helped to keep their minds off of — oddly enough — bowling.

“If you only talk about bowling while you’re bowling, the days would be so much longer and your brain would be so fried so soon,” Oden said. “Not talking about bowling helps you enjoy the moment a little bit more.”

That mental approach carried into the offseason, where the team focused on controlling the controllables — something they’ve already had to lean on.

At last weekend’s Mid-States Championships, Wichita State’s home exhibition tournament, junior Ashtyn Woods was injured midway through the first day of competition. With no substitutes available, the Shockers bowled short-handed and narrowly missed the eight-team championship bracket by 63 pins, finishing in 10th place out of 29 teams. 

The tournament didn’t affect season stats and rankings, however.

“It was really cool that the four of us who bowled were really close to making match play,” Oden said. “That’s just hard to do because Baker (matches), you lose two frames and your max (score) is only 210 every game.”

The tournament also offered early lessons. Wagner said body language — when times are good and bad — will be an emphasis going forward, along with committing fully to the second shot. Harris also said some of the early nerves are behind them now.

“The girls that were going to be nervous, it was just like nervous at the start (of the season), and we got to do it last weekend,” Harris said.

Wagner believes setting small goals after each tournament will help the team stay focused on the bigger picture — like holding an NCAA trophy. She realizes, however, that there are many steps before the big dance.

“Usually after each tournament we just talk about what we could do better based off of how the last one went and just go with it,” Wagner said.

Along with developing their mental games, Wagner and Oden both agreed that no single player has stepped up their play the most. That’s because they both think they could see anyone in the lineup on any given day, which will help down the stretch of the season.

Even the freshmen are eager to contribute. The jump from high school to college athletics can be daunting, but they’re asking questions and delving into the program at a fast rate. 

“It’s a recipe for team success,” Harris said. “So them jumping in, and wanting to learn … they’re just eager. They’re not waiting for someone to tell them what to do.”

Freshman Kendall Bollea, a Phoenix native, is already starting to make her mark, as she finished top-10 in the Mid-States Championships. Harris also said Alena McDugle and Erica DeBello are poised to make noise in their freshman campaigns.

“Kendall had a really good summer,” Harris said. “She placed in the top-50 of the National Youth Tournament, and she had a really good Mid-States. Alena also had a really good Mid-States, so I think those two will step up and play a decent amount their freshman year. Erica is also working really hard — I see her contributing somewhere in mid- to late-fall.”

Wichita State begins its regular season at Destination Orlando, hosted by Sacred Heart University, from Friday to Sunday.

“This past weekend (at the Mid-States Championships) was fun,” Harris said. “But the matches and getting ready for postseason stuff starts on Friday, and I’m looking forward to that.”