A season filled with resilience ended just short of a title for Wichita State women’s bowling. 

After battling out of the elimination bracket for the second time in two weeks, the Shockers fell in the national championship best-of-seven against Jacksonville State Saturday evening at Yorktown Lanes in Parma Heights, Ohio in their second year of NCAA competition. 

WSU’s season ended at 79-36 after the loss.  

For the second straight year, the Shockers fell to Jacksonville State in the opening round of the Final Four on Friday morning to begin the two days of competition. The Gamecocks swept the Shockers 2-0 in their opening round game.

Jacksonville State took the traditional point, winning 1165-1049.  Junior Ashtyn Woods was the Shockers’ highest scorer. Woods had 268 points and collected nine strikes.

The Gamecocks were able to take the Baker total pinfall point right after to sweep the Shockers and drop them to the elimination bracket. Going into the fifth and final game, however, WSU had a slim 942-941 lead. Jacksonville State then took the fifth game 257-220 to take the point, 1198-1162. 

The Shockers lived to bowl another day Friday afternoon by beating Arkansas State 2-0 in their first elimination game.

WSU won the traditional match 1162-949, where junior Aleesha Oden rolled a perfect 300 to push the Shockers to the victory. 

In the total pinfall match, WSU won the first four games, eventually leading to a 1188-1030 win against the Red Wolves. 

With the chance of making the national championship on the line, the Shockers had to face Vanderbilt Saturday morning, a team they had been winless against going into the match. WSU ended the pattern, beating the Commodores 2-1.

Vanderbilt took the traditional point, winning 1106-1027. Oden once again was the Shockers’ leading scorer, scoring 257 points.

One match from facing a season-ending loss, the Shockers rallied to win the total pinfall 1038-992 to force a best-of-seven series.  

The Commodores took game one by a score of 225-212. The Shockers responded with a narrow one-pin victory in game two to even the score. WSU rattled off two more wins to put them on the doorstep of a win. 

Vanderbilt took game five to keep the match moving. But a 269-207 game six win sent the Shockers to the national championship.

The best-of-seven championship finale started the Shockers’ way, but Jacksonville State picked up four straight victories to take it.  

In game one, the Gamecocks started with the lead, but a late Shocker strike run led WSU to a 216-208 win.

Jacksonville State tied the match up, taking game two, 246-213.

The Shockers started the third game hot, getting four strikes on the first five frames. However, Jacksonville State took the third game. 

Jacksonville State took the final two games 185-169 and 191-184 to win the national championship.