A small sisterhood of Duquesne University students has been party to a major secret for much of the past decade.
The six current members of the Dukes women’s bowling team are now hoping to finally get that secret off their chests.
Duquesne, which qualified for the 2021 NCAA bowling championships, is currently ranked No. 12 in the country and is angling to repeat the same kind of success that saw the women’s bowling team become the fifth program in school history to earn an NCAA championship tournament appearance in the not too distant past.
“I’d love for more people to know about us,” said Duquesne junior Shannon Small, a 2020 Plum graduate. “Even people at school, some people are like, ‘I didn’t even know we had a bowling team.’ But then I tell them how much we won. It’s really cool for people to find out and I see the shock on their faces.”
In only its seventh year of existence under coach Jody Fetterhoff, the women’s bowling team has already built the kind of winning tradition that would be the envy of many of the athletic programs at any university around Western Pennsylvania.
Aside from its NCAA tournament appearance, Duquesne has maintained a constant presence on collegiate bowling’s top 25 rankings and has seen former bowlers including Jessica Cadez, Allison Hresko, Megan Cook and Olivia Farwell earn Northeast Conference and national postseason accolades.
Farwell, who graduated last season, was the first Duquesne athlete in any sport to earn a national player of the year honor when she was named the National Tenpin Coaches Association’s player of the year. She was the second athlete in school history to be named an All-American four times.
“I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t think this would happen,” said Fetterhoff, who was previously head coach at Union College in Michigan and her alma mater, Shippensburg University. “I had success at my past school, and that was at Division III, and we didn’t have any scholarships. We built it up there and made nationals in four years. My goal, obviously in my head, is I wanted to do it in three here.
“I think the biggest thing is you literally have to believe you can do that in order to do that,” she added. “I had that belief in myself, and the kids that I was recruiting also felt that we were building something special here.”
Small and senior Kiearra Saldi are leading Duquesne’s current roster that includes Brenna Gleim, Morgan Brookover, Emma Siekierski and Ranelle Ulanday through another special season.
“A lot of teams thought we would be down this year, but the girls were like, ‘Nope, we’re still the same team,’” Fetterhoff said.
Duquesne (35-16, 11-3 NEC) cemented its status as a player on the national scene once again with a strong showing at the Hawk Classic Invitational, which was hosted by Maryland Eastern Shore at Millsboro Lanes in Millsboro, Del.
After losing two out of four matches on Saturday at the tournament, the Dukes rallied for Sunday victories against Maryland Eastern Shore, defending national champion Sam Houston State and Delaware State to finish second in the event.
“I think that kind of showed teams that we are still a top team,” Fetterhoff said.
And that starts with Small and Saldi.
“Both of those girls, they don’t get the recognition they deserve,” Fetterhoff said. “Shannon is just quiet, and she just grinds and does her job setting up everybody. They’ve both kind of stepped up and picked up where [Farwell] left off.
“I think the difference is everybody’s taken a leadership role,” she added. “When you have a small team they don’t feel the pressure of any one person to lead and they all bring something really good to the team. They’re just a really good team that meshes.”
Saldi is among Duquesne’s leaders in scoring average, while Small has excelled as the Dukes’ spare shooter, which sets up the team’s anchor bowler.
“She’s been one of the best spare shooters in the country the last couple years,” Fetterhoff said. “She’s someone we all know is going to come through.”
It’s a role Small has always been comfortable filling. She came to Duquesne after having won a WPIBL individual championship, the equivalent of a WPIAL title, in her 2020 season at Plum.
“Shannon’s game has evolved,” Fetterhoff said of Small, who finished as high as fifth at the state championship tournament in high school. “When she first came as a freshman she was very familiar playing a certain part of the lane and playing a certain way, and so her development, now she’s a junior, we’ve added more things to her game. She’s probably one of our most well-rounded players.”
Small said she has enjoyed her role for Duquesne this season and is poised to help the Dukes remain among the top teams in the nation.
“I’ve been looking since freshman year to stand up and be one of the leaders of the team,” Small said. “I can’t do it by myself, and I love having Kiearra there with me. Everyone kind of steps up when they’re needed to.”
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.