Indianapolis, Ind. (Mar. 25, 2009) --- The Delaware State bowling team has added another first to its historic 2008-09 season.

The Hornets have earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the 10-year history of the team. The eight-team tournament field was announced via webcast by the NCAA this afternoon.

Delaware State will be joined by Arkansas State, Central Missouri, Fairleigh Dickinson, Nebraska, New Jersey City, Vanderbilt and defending national champ Maryland-Eastern Shore (UMES) in Canton, Mich., April 9-11 for the 2009 championship tournament.

The Hornets are the only team making its first tournament appearance this season. UMES, Central Missouri, Nebraska and New Jersey City are each making its sixth trip. Maryland-Eastern Shore defeated Arkansas State to capture the 2008 NCAA championship, becoming the first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) team in any sport to win a national title.  

“This is such a thrill for the team and the university,” said Delaware State second-year head coach Kim Terrell-Kearney, who has led the Hornets to a 117-36 overall record this season. “I thought we had a good chance to make the tournament based on our performance this season, but there's something special about seeing our name on the screen when the field was announced.”

The NCAA Tournament bid is the latest honor for the Hornets, who captured the first MEAC championship in team history last weekend. DSU also took first place in the ECAC Championship, Kutztown Tournament and the Arkansas State Mid-Winter Invitational, which included wins over No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 2 Nebraska.

Delaware State is also No. 4 in the latest National Tenpins Coach Association poll, matching the highest ranking in team history. In fact, the 2009 NCAA Tournament field consists of the top eight teams in the NTCA poll.  

“The girls have earned the right to compete with the best teams in the country for a national championship,” Terrell-Kearney said. “Winning the conference championship and earning a NCAA Tournament bid were among our top goals this season. This is a great reward for all the hard work the team has put in this season.”

Delaware State is familiar with this year's NCAA Tournament field, having faced each team during the 2008-09 season. The Hornets are 25-18 this season vs. the other tournament teams: Arkansas State (0-1), Central Missouri (2-0), Fairleigh Dickinson (4-5), Nebraska (1-1), New Jersey City (9-2), Vanderbilt (2-4), UMES (7-5).      

The 2009 NCAA Tournament competition begins with a qualifying round in which each team bowls four five-person regular team games and five four-game Baker matches. Total pin fall during the qualifying round determines each team's seed in bracket play. 

In the Baker format, each of the five team members, in order, bowls a complete frame until a complete (10-frame) game is bowled.  The fifth Baker match serves as the position round.  The pin fall from the position round serves as a tiebreaker, if necessary.

Based on the qualifying round, teams are placed in two four-team double-elimination brackets. Teams compete against each other in a best-of-seven games Baker match.  Ties within a Baker game will be decided by another full Baker game.

During bracket play, the higher seed receives starting lane preference for the first game of the match, the seventh game of the match and any tie-breaker game that must be played.

ESPNU will televise the April 10 & 11 NCAA Tournament contests, including the championship match.

Release includes information from the NCAA.