PITTSBURGH, Pa. - AMCC bowlers will hit the lanes this weekend for the 2026 AMCC Bowling Championship Tournament at Pines Plaza Lanes in Pittsburgh, PA. First round play will open up on Friday morning at 10:00am with #4 Penn State Behrend taking on #5 Hilbert College, and #3 Alvernia University facing off with #6 Pitt-Bradford. #1 Saint Vincent College and #2 William Smith College will each receive first round byes.

Saint Vincent enters the tournament as the #1 seed with a 10-2 record in AMCC play. The Bearcats are looking to defend their title after winning the program's first-ever AMCC Championship in 2025. The team is currently ranked #12 in the nation in the NTCA (NCAA) power rankings, among All Divisions, while sitting at #4 in the nation in the NTCA D2/D3 combined poll. Sophomore Brooke Street finished first at AMCC Round Robin 2 in traditional games for the second consecutive season. Street carries a 188.7 average, while setting two school records, including 45 straight marks (still active) and registering a two-game total of 482 on February 1. Sophomore Kaylie Kurland led all bowlers in AMCC #1 with a 206 average, while carrying a 185.8 average on the season. Sophomore Mara Pilyih, the reigning 2025 USBC National Rookie of the Year and the 2025 NTCA D3 Rookie of the Year, averages 192.5 this season while finishing in the top 10 in nearly all 2025-26 tournaments in which she has competed. Junior Skyy Nicholls leads the team by .1 pin in average, with a 192.6. Nicholls is a two-time all-conference performer and tied the school record with 9x in a row in ITC tournament last weekend while also setting the school record with a 1077 five-game series in Grapevine Classic in October.

With a 9-3 conference record, William Smith enters the tournament as the #2 seed for the third consecutive year. They finished as runners-up last season after capturing their first AMCC title in 2024. Seniors Caitlyn Anschutz and Michaela Morgan are averaging more than 18 pins per frame this season. Anschutz leads the team with an 18.74 overall average, including 18.68 in traditional matches and a team-high 18.79 in Baker matches. Morgan, the reigning Bowler of the Year, is averaging 18.45 pins per frame overall, including a team-leading 18.8 in traditional matches and 18.08 in Baker matches. Additionally, junior Tiana Wolkiewicz is averaging 18.06 in Baker matches and junior Colleen Jump is averaging 18.02 in traditional matches. 

Alvernia enters the tournament as the #3 seed and an 8-4 record in AMCC play. Sophomore Mia Siminitus, the 2024 AMCC Newcomer of the Year, currently ranks eighth in the AMCC in traditional format scoring average and 13th in overall scoring. Junior Lacey Slaymaker has been a strong contributor, ranking eighth in overall average and seventh in Baker format scoring average. Freshman Kailynn Jones has shown consistency throughout the season, ranking 12th in overall average, 13th in traditional format average, and 15th in Baker format average, while also sitting 11th overall in frame fill percentage. 

#4 Penn State Behrend enters the championship tournament with a 7-5 conference record. Senior Lillie Holt, who was a first-year bowler a season ago, was named the 2025 Newcomer of the Year. Holt recorded a single-game high of 267 this season while also earning two all-tournament team honors. She ranks second in the AMCC with a 19.31 individual scoring average and is tops in the conference with a 20.059 Baker format average. Senior Emily Warrene scored a 209 high game this season while also ranking third on the team with a 71% overall frames filled average. Sophomore Dee Dee Elijah ranks 15th in the AMCC 17.427 individual scoring average.

With a 6-6 AMCC record, the Hilbert Hawks are making their second-ever appearance in the AMCC bowling championship tournament as the #5 seed. Freshman Thea Nahrebeski had a strong rookie campaign, averaging 181.7 in traditional play, 17.7 in Baker play, and recording a single-game high of 244.  Freshman Brooklyn Hannah continues to improve with every match.  The rookie set a new program tournament match record with a 20.6 Baker average while rolling the year with 170.3 traditional and 18.1 baker averages. Junior Paige Angle averages 164.0 in traditional format and 16.1 in Baker play, while recording a single-game high of 208 on the season and junior Jenna Angle, the first Hilbert all-conference bowler a season ago, is returning to action this tournament with a 163.2 average in traditional format and 16.9 in Baker play.

Rounding out the field is #6 Pitt-Bradford, who went 2-10 against AMCC teams this season. Junior Erin Wales leads the Panthers with a 16.32 average per frame, while Sara Paryz averages 15.47.

No.5 Hilbert vs No.4 Penn State Behrend - Single Elimination Mega Match - 10 am, March 20
Winner of 4/5 match moves into the Double Elimination Mega Tournament and will roll against No.1 St. Vincent College at 2:30 pm, March 20
Winners Bracket game on March 21, 9:30 am | Losers Bracket game on March 21, 9:30 am (loser of this game is eliminated)

ABOUT THE HILBERT HAWKS

• The Hawks almost tripled their win record from a year ago after going 28-47 under second-year co-head coaches Andrew Rettig and Sara Snyder.
• Hilbert opened the season with the program's highest finish (4th place) a two-day tournament. 
• The Hawks established three new Baker match records that opening weekend (single game score – 253; single match score – 927; and largest margin of victory – 228) in the Grapevine Classic.  Later in the season, the Hawks shattered the Grapevine baker match score record when they rolled a 992 baker match against Daemen in late February.
• Hilbert established two new total pin fall records when they knocked down 906 pins against Merrimack in late February after they recorded the largest margin of victory against Pitt-Greensburg (225) in the AMCC Round Robin match in February.
• Two Hawks were named to the All-Tournament team this winter – Julia Stutz at the Grapevine Classic with a 202.2 average, and Thea Nahrebeski who rolled a 207.6 average at the Niagara Brunswick Spring Classic.
• For the first time in program history, Hilbert hosted its own tournament - the Hamer Classic  - and also took part in the National DIII Tournament in Lansing, MI.
• The Hawks saw most of their action in multiple, two-day series, having participated in the Grapevine Classic, Niagara Brunswick Fall and Spring Classics and the back-to-back Pittsburgh events – the Bro. Pat Lacey Memorial and the Unicorn Invite; in addition, they participated in a one-day multi-team event at the Buffalo Blizzard Cup.
• This year's team secured the program's second consecutive postseason appearance in the AMCC Tournament after going 4-2 in the AMCC Baker Round Robin Tournament in November and 2-4 in the AMCC Total Pin Fall Tournament in February.
• As a team, Hilbert rolled a 165.7 average (198 games\32,816 total pin fall) 20-pins better than last year's146.6 average.
• Nine players carried Hilbert into postseason play this spring.  Katelyn Bean and Julia Stutz graduated in December 2025 which leaves seven players to compete in the AMCC Mega Match Double Elimination tournament this weekend.
• Paige Angle is the only Hawk to have rolled 34 games this year while Brooklyn Hannah, Paige Mullen and Thea Nahrebeski all competed in 32 games.
• Thea Nahrebeski recorded her career-high 244 at the Niagara Spring Classic and finished with a 207.6 average setting a new program record tournament record.   She also leads the Hawks with a 181.7 average this winter.
• Brooklyn Hannah recorded a season-high 20.6 baker average at the Niagara Fall Classic, knocking down 1070 pins over 52 frames.
• Five Hawks have all recorded a 200+ game:
  • Victoria Hanley (202), Brooklyn Hannah (213- 2x, 207, 206, 204), Paige Mullen (214, 205), Thea Nahrebeski (244, 242, 226, 213, 211, 208, 201)

ABOUT THE PENN STATE BEHREND LIONS

• The Lions come in to the Friday's match with a 35-43 overall record and an AMCC record of 7-5
• Behrend ended the regular season a win over D'Youville in Roc City Classic on Saturday, March 7
• In November, the Lions finished 4-2 for second place at the AMCC Round Robin 1, which consisted of seven sets of five baker matches
• Behrend would go on to tally a 3-3 record at the Second Round Robin for an overall conference record of 7-5 for the fourth seed
• Lillie Holt, two-time AMCC Bowler of the Week, leads the Lions with a baker average of 19.02 in 106 frames in conference play
• Overall, Holt paces the conference in individual frame fill percentage (84.2 percent), while ranking first in average frame in baker (20.059) and fill percentage baker format (87.1) for 390 frames

2025-26 MATCH RESULTS

Traditional Total Pin Fall

• Behrend held a 4-0 record with a +59-pin average advantage.

Baker Total Pin Fall

• Behrend held a 3-1 record with a 54-pin average advantage
• The Hawks recorded a +47-pin victory late in the season

Baker Best of 7

• Hilbert earned a 4-2 victory over Behrend in their only best of seven match