The 2023-24 season came to a close for the #17 Valpo bowling team on Thursday afternoon, as the Beacons fell 2-1 to #13 Tulane in a play-in match at the inaugural CUSA Championship in Harahan, La.

How It Happened

• As the ninth seed in the nine-team tournament field, Valpo faced off with eighth-seeded Tulane for the opportunity to play in to the main eight-team, double-elimination bracket. The match was contested in the “mega match” format, featuring a traditional team game followed by a five-game baker set. If the two teams split those contests, a best-of-seven baker round decided the match.
• Valpo trailed entering the 10^th frame of the traditional team game, but closed strong to rally past the Green Wave and earn a 960-925 win to go up 1-0 in the match. Freshman Maia Struble (Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond) paced the Beacons with a 219 game, tying her second-best effort of the year, while junior Lilu Smith (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) topped 200 for the eighth time this season with a 202.
• Valpo posted a 215 game in the first of the five-game baker set, but Tulane rolled a 235 to jump out to a quick 20-pin lead. The Green Wave led by 41 pins after two games before the Beacons cut the deficit to 30 pins following a 205 in game three.
• Tulane recorded back-to-back games above 200 in the final two games of the baker set to pull away, as Valpo fell by a 1044-923 final, necessitating the best-of-seven baker round to decide the match.
• Tulane edged Valpo by nine pins in the best-of-seven opener and won by 19 pins in game two. The Beacons put a 200 on the board in game three, but it wasn’t enough to best a 217 by the Green Wave, and Tulane finished out the 4-0 sweep by taking game four as well.

Inside the Season

• Despite Thursday’s defeat, Valpo concluded the 2023-24 season with a 54-35 overall record — the program’s first time finishing with a winning percentage above .500 since 2011-12.
• The .607 winning percentage was the second-best single-season winning percentage in program history, while the 54 wins were the team’s most since the 2013-14 season.

Inside the Career

• Senior Isabella Palamaro (Thiells, N.Y./North Rockland) completed her career Thursday, rolling a 191 in the traditional team game. Palamaro started 104 traditional team matches over her four years, breaking 200 on 25 occasions and pacing Valpo 21 times.
• Palamaro’s freshman season average of 193.9 ranks 10^th in program history for a single season. She rolled a career-best game of 259 as a sophomore in a win over North Central at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic.