For the second straight day, the #9 Valparaiso bowling team won three out of five matches at the Crusader Classic, closing the day in sixth place out of the ten competing teams.

The Crusaders have totaled 9,395 pins through two days of competition to sit in sixth position.  Arkansas State leads the team standings, determined by pin count, with 10,347 pins, narrowly outpacing Central Missouri (10,286 pins).

Valpo opened action on Saturday morning, contested in the traditional team format, against #6 Central Missouri, but lost 998-940.  Freshman Raychel Wolever (Charlotte, Mich./Charlotte) led the Crusaders against the Jennies with a 206 game.  The Crusaders fell in their second match of the day as well, 962-942 to #5 Nebraska, despite a 224 game from redshirt sophomore Alyssa Alvarez (Antioch, Ill./Antioch).

Valpo earned its first victory of the day in its third contest, downing #17 Prairie View A&M by a 971-952 score, led by games of 206 from fifth-year senior Ashley Busiel (Elk Grove Village, Ill./James B. Conant [Harper College]) and 200 by Alvarez.  The Crusaders then crushed #4 Vanderbilt, 972-877, with Busiel leading the way with a 225 game.  Freshman Katherine Sulaitis (St. Charles, Ill./East) rolled a 207 in the win over Vandy, while junior Torrie Decker (Van Wert, Ohio/Van Wert [Robert Morris (Ill.)]) added a 201 as well.  Busiel capped the day with a team-best 255 in a 1038-804 win over Elmhurst, with Wolever adding a 234 and Sulaitis a 225.

Valparaiso (8-10) closes out play in its home tournament on Sunday morning at 8 a.m.  Sunday’s play will be in bracket format to determine the final tournament standings.