VALLEY PARK, Mo. – The top-ranked and No. 1 seeded McKendree Universitty women's bowling team will look to repeat as the Great Lakes Valley Conference Champion on Sunday afternoon after the Bearcats cemented their spot in the 2022 GLVC Women's Bowling Tournament championship match following an impressive 2-0 winner's bracket semifinal win Saturday afternoon over 12th-ranked and No. 2 seeded Maryville University at Bowlero Lakeside Lanes.
 
With Saturday's win, the Bearcats will play for in the championship match of the GLVC Tournament on Sunday, March 27 at 1:30 p.m., against the winner of Sunday's 8:30 a.m. match between Maryville and No. 3 seeded and 23rd-ranked Central Missouri. The Bearcats are 2-0 in the double-elimination tournament and would have to lose twice on Sunday to not repeat as the league champion. 

Since the GLVC Tournament began last year, the Bearcats have yet to lose a game in the event as won all three games at last year's tournament by 2-0 scores and they have won both their matches at this year's tournament by 2-0 scores. 
 
Saturday's win was aided by a perfect 300 game by the Bearcats in the fourth of five Baker format games against the Saints. In the fourth game, the Bearcats rolled 12 consecutive strikes, including two-time GLVC Player of the Year, senior Hope Gramly (Prosper, Texas/Prosper) capping the game with three straight strikes in the 10th and final frame to record the first 300 game in GLVC Tournament history and the first 300 game this season for the Bearcats.
 

 
With that perfect 300 in the fourth Baker game, the Bearcat won the game, 300-170 over the Saints.
 

 
McKendree started Saturday's match against Maryville with a 121-pin win of 1,074-953 in the traditional game. In the traditional game, sophomore Isabel Allen (Tamworth, England/Polesworth High) tossed a 232 to lead the Bearcats, while junior Maranda Pattison (Redwood Valley, Calif./Ukiah Independent had a 224. Two other Bearcats recorded over 200 in the traditional game as senior Hope Gramly (Prosper, Texas/Prosper), who is the two-time GLVC Player of the Year, and junior Rebecca Hagerman (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) each recorded a score of 214.
 
After winning the traditional game of the mega-match, the two teams played a five-game total pinfall Baker format set as the Bearcats won would win the Baker format by 242 pins as they defeated Maryville, 1,206-964.
 
In the Baker format, the Bearcats won all five games as they opened with a 225-202 win in the first game, before posting a 213-178 win in the second game and then tallying a 256-224 win in the third game. In the third game, the Bearcats recorded seven straight strikes from frames three through nine.
 
After recording its perfect 300 score in fourth game, the Bearcats closed out the match with a 212-190 win in the fifth and final game.
 
Here are the results from the first two days of the 2022 GLVC Women's Bowling Championships.
 
Friday, March 25
Match 1: #4 Lewis def. #5 Drury, 2-0
Match 2: #2 Maryville def. #7 Upper Iowa, 2-0
Match 3: #3 Central Missouri def. #6 Quincy, 2-0
Match 4: #1 McKendree def. No. 4 Lewis, 2-0
Match 5: #2 Maryville def. No. 3 Central Missouri, 2-0
Match 6: #6 Quincy def. #7 Upper Iowa, 2-0 (Upper Iowa eliminated)
Saturday, March 26
Match 7: #3 Central Missouri def. #5 Drury, 2-1  
Match 8: #4 Lewis def. #6 Quincy, 2-0
Match 9 (Winners Bracket semifinal): #1 McKendree def. #2 Maryville, 2-0
Match 10 (Elimination Round semifinal): #3 Central Missouri def. #4 Lewis, 2-1
Sunday, March 27
Match 11: #2 Maryville vs. #3 Central Missouri, 8:30 a.m.
Match 12 (Championship): #1 McKendree vs. Match 11 winner, 1:30 p.m.
Match 13 (If Necessary): Match 9 winner vs. Match 11 winner, 5:30 p.m.