The #21 Valpo bowling team saw its season come to an end Thursday afternoon at the Conference USA Championship in Harahan, La., as the Beacons dropped a mega-match to #6 Louisiana Tech in their second defeat of the double-elimination tournament.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo had to wait until Thursday morning's matches were complete to learn its afternoon opponent, as Louisiana Tech — which was the tournament's fifth seed — was edged by fourth-seeded Nebraska.
• The mega-match against the Bulldogs opened with a traditional team match. Despite a match-best 230 game from Angela Webber (Harvest, Ala./Sparkman) and a 208 from Payton Rowley (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) — their 11^th and 14^th 200 games of the season, respectively — Valpo fell by a 973-921 final.
• Needing a win in the five-game baker match to keep their tournament alive, the Beacons jumped out to a 179-171 lead after game one. But Louisiana Tech posted a 204 in game two to pull in front and out-scored the Beacons in each of the final four games to earn the 1014-906 win.

 
Inside the Season

• Valpo concludes the 2025-26 campaign with a 50-37 record. The 50 wins are tied for seventh-most in a single season in program history, while the .575 winning percentage ranks fourth.
• Valpo won tournament titles at McKendree's Bearcat Invitational and Augustana's Viking Classic, giving the program seven tournament titles all-time. This year's squad joins the 2011-12 team as the only teams in program history to win multiple tournaments in the same season.
• The Beacons also finished at runner-up at their home tournament, the Windy City Halloween Classic, making this year's team the first in program history to bowl in three tournament championship matches in the same season.
• This year's team set a program record for baker scoring average, averaging a 191.9 in baker matches. The Beacons' 189.3 traditional average is fourth-best in program history.
• Valpo set team single-match records for average in a traditional team match and in a best-of-seven baker match this season.
• Rowley finished the year with a 195.4 scoring average, eighth-best in a single season in program history.

 
Inside the Careers

• Three Valpo seniors closed out their careers with the conclusion of the conference championship.
• Morgan Acs (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) started 12 traditional team matches in her career and was an instrumental presence behind the scenes during her senior season.
• Peytin Brake (Kent City, Mich./Kent City) posted a 194.4 average as a senior in 11 traditional match starts, posting four games of 200 or better and leading the Beacons on four occasions this season. For her career, she started 25 traditional matches with a 179.9 average.
• Jen Patz (Naples, Fla./Naples) enjoyed her best season as a senior, posting a 190.8 average over 33 traditional match starts, including nine efforts of 200+ and seven games leading the Beacons. Over her career, Patz recorded a 184.9 average in 132 traditional starts — tallying 34 200+ games and pacing Valpo on 24 occasions. She is just the second bowler in program history to start 30 or more traditional matches in four seasons.