The nation’s top-ranked bowling team returned to the lanes on Friday afternoon, as Valparaiso resumed the 2011-2012 campaign on the first day of action at the Mid-Winter Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark., hosted by Arkansas State.

The Crusaders ended the first day of competition, contested in the five-game baker format, with a 3-2 record, their ninth day with a winning record in ten days of action this season.  But Valpo posted just 4,312 pins over Friday’s five matches, leaving the Crusaders in 11^th place out of 16 competing teams.  The Crusaders are less than 200 pins outside the top-seven, however.

Friday’s action started with an 872-804 victory in the opener over Southern, but the Crusaders would drop a pair of matches to top-ten foes following the opening win.  Valpo fell 923-785 to #6 Central Missouri and followed with a 950-850 defeat against host #8 Arkansas State.  The Crusaders rebounded with their best two efforts of the day to close competition, however, downing Texas Southern 894-884 and Prairie View A&M 911-795.

#1 Valparaiso (33-10) returns to action on Saturday morning at 9:40 a.m., the second of three days of competition in Jonesboro.