Louisiana Tech seniors help build bowling program
RUSTON, La. – When Louisiana Tech senior bowlers Ashley Channell and Kaitlyn Eder were first being recruited to Louisiana Tech, head coach Matt Nantais told them he wanted to build the program.
"I didn't really care about going somewhere that was already established," Channell said. "I was more interested in the building of a program and making it something."
And building the program they did.
During the duo's freshman campaign, Louisiana Tech had received votes in the 2017 National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) preseason poll.
Flash forward to the pair's senior season and they have helped the Lady Techsters earn their first-ever bid to the National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship.
Louisiana Tech will start the championship as the top seed in the fourth region with its first match set to be against Youngstown State on Wednesday at 9 a.m. (CT). Fairleigh Dickinson and Sam Houston State are the other two teams competing in region four.
"It's something we've been working for throughout the years and it's surreal that it's finally happening," Eder said.
Though there were times that were mentally and physically exhausting, Eder said it has been rewarding to see the team's progression and how the program will continue to develop.
"Once we leave, they're not done," Eder said. "They're going to keep going and they're going to keep getting better and it's so cool to see that. In the past, we hadn't been high in the rankings, but now, we're a force to be reckoned with. It's been really rewarding and cool to watch."
Channell said they were hopeful about the program during the 2019-20 season and were gearing up for the postseason when the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"After going through like all the highs and lows for the past couple of years, it was like we're finally going to get chance to breakthrough and then that happens," Channell said. "It really made me look forward to coming back this year and getting the chance to finish what we didn't get to do last year."
Louisiana Tech finished second at four tournaments during the 2020-21 campaign, including the 2021 Southland Bowling League Championships, which came down to the wire.
"It's definitely made us fight harder and be stronger because we know that we're fortunate to be competing right now," Eder said. "We have more of a determination. The whole team has felt that. We want to do well. We want to win the championship."
Channell said the team is treating every tournament they compete in as if it is their last.
"It put things into a different perspective of you don't know when your last one could be," Channell said. "At every tournament, I keep that in the back of my mind. I think to myself, 'Would I be happy with how I finished this tournament if it was my last one?'"
Both of the seniors began bowling at a young age as both their parents were coaches. Channell's parents actually bought a bowling alley when she was three months old, so she practically grew up in a bowling center.
"I spent more time at the bowling center than my actual house," Channell said.
Channell and Louisiana Tech had the opportunity to compete at the Channell family's bowling alley, the Savannah Bowling Center in Savannah, Tenn., this season at the Lady Techsters Invitational where the team finished second.
Eder also started bowling at a young age as she began when she was four. Both of her parents bowled, and her brother, Nathan, bowled collegiately at South Florida.
"It was fun to do the Saturday morning leagues," Eder said. "When I was 10, I was like, 'Okay, I want to actually try to do this professionally.' I started getting lessons and it grew from there."
Channell and Eder, who have been roommates the past three years, had actually met years before arriving at Louisiana Tech. The pair were in the same small group on a college tour when they were about 15. Three years later, both girls were beginning their freshman seasons on the Louisiana Tech bowling team.
Channell had visited various campuses while deciding where to go to school, but once she arrived at Louisiana Tech, she knew that it was the place she needed to be.
"I liked the small town and the community," Channell said. "Everyone is very nice and it just has an overall homey feel. I just felt that I fit in here from my first time stepping on the campus."
Eder was not looking into NCAA schools when she first started the process of deciding where to go to school.
"But whenever I started talking to coach and came on a visit here, I fell in love with the campus and the community," Eder said. "It just seemed like a good fit and a good program."
Nantais said Channell and Eder have done a great job in building the program.
"Ashley's bowling abilities have always been there and she is a great spare shooter," Nantais said. "All of the girls look up to her on the team and she always has something funny to say."
Channell was named to the Lady Techsters Invitational all-tournament team that took place at her family's bowling center after finishing the tournament third individually with a pin average of 206.40 in January. As a junior, Channell earned all-tournament honors after leading the Lady Techsters to a win at the JSU Sonic Boom Invitational and finished the season second on the team with 253 strikes. As a sophomore, she was named to both the Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic and JSU Invitational all-tournament teams. Channell was second on the team in both strikes with 269 and average frame with 18.5 pins. Channell was named to the JSU Invitational all-tournament team as a freshman and finished the season with the second-highest strike percentage on the team at 46.4 percent.
Channell is not only a leader on the bowling team, but in all of athletics as she serves as the secretary for the Louisiana Tech's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Nantais said Eder was not sure about herself and her abilities when she first arrived at Louisiana Tech, but has since done a complete 180.
"She speaks up when she sees things that she's not sure of and is a lot
more confident," Nantais said. "She's a great example for the others on the team not just in bowling, but in her personal life and academics."
Eder had a breakout freshman season where she was named the 2017-18 NTCA Division I Rookie of the Year and was a NTCA AllAmerican Honorable Mention as she led Louisiana Tech with three all-tournament selections. Eder was a member of Junior Team USA and finished second among 855 competitors at the Junior Gold Championship. She led the team in strikes (338) and strike percentage (46.9 percent), while her overall average of 20.27 pins per frame ranked 19th in the nation and led all freshmen.
Eder earned NTCA Division I AllAmerican honors as a sophomore and was named to the all-Southland Conference first team. She earned a spot on the JSU Sonic Boom all-tournament team and finished the season leading the Lady Techsters in strikes (323), strike percentage (46.9 percent), spare conversion percentage (73.5 percent) and average per frame (20.01). During her shortened junior season, Eder was named the tournament MVP at the JSU Sonic Boom Invitational.
As a senior, Eder has been named the MVP at the Track Kat Klash and was named to the all-tournament team at the Louisiana Tech Invite.
Channell is currently finishing her bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology and is planning to pursue a master's degree in the same program.
Eder graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in psychology in November. She is on track to graduate with a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling in the spring of 2021. She hopes to continue her bowling career at the Professional Women's Bowling Association tour stops.
Both seniors are grateful for their time at Louisiana Tech.
"We all are really thankful for the support because it's been a long road to get to where we are right now," Channell said. "We are very grateful for coach for always advocating for us and believing in us through all the ups and downs. It's been great having the continued support from athletics and the community. Without the support from all of these people, there's no way we would have made it this far."