The #21 Valpo bowling team kicked off the 2026-27 season Friday at Youngstown State's Penguin Classic in Struthers, Ohio, picking up a pair of wins on the opening day of action.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo faced a gauntlet to open the campaign, as each of its first four matches of Friday's action was against teams ranked in the top-13 of the NTCA preseason poll.
• If that wasn't enough, the opening match of the tournament for the Beacons came against the tournament hosts. #6 Youngstown State earned a 1063-933 win in the opener.
• The Beacons also fell in their next two matches, dropping an 1136-978 decision to #5 Nebraska before an average of better than 200 wasn't enough in an 1109-1006 defeat against #10 Sacred Heart.
• Valpo got into the win column in its fourth match of the day, taking down #13 Maryville by a 956-936 final.
• The Beacons posted their best match of the day in the finale, defeating #RV William Smith 1067-899.
• Valpo is positioned ninth out of 18 competing teams in the standings following the opening day of action, having totaled 4,940 pins. Five of the nine teams trailing the Beacons were ranked ahead of them in the NTCA preseason poll.
• Coming off a season in which it posted a program record for baker scoring average, Valpo easily recorded its highest baker average on the opening day in six visits to the Penguin Classic. The Beacons registered a 197.6 game average Friday, outpacing their previous best opening day at YSU's tournament, a 193.1 average in October 2023. 

Next Up
Valpo (2-3) continues action at the Penguin Classic on Saturday with five traditional team matches beginning at 8:25 a.m.