NORTH BOSTON, N.Y. (Sept. 29)- Saint Vincent women's bowling was picked first in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference pre-season poll, announced by the conference office this morning.

Additionally, senior Skyy Nicholls was tabbed the AMCC Pre-Season Bowler of the Year. Nicholls was an AMCC first team all-conference selection in 2025 and 2026. The senior led the team with an overall average of 191.7 in over 1200 frames, with a strike percentage of 46.0%. Nicholls was a two-time AMCC Player of the Week during the 2025-26 season.

Under the guidance of veteran head coach and reigning AMCC Coach of the Year, Jeff Zidek, the Bearcats have won the last two AMCC Conference Championships, qualifying for the NCAA National Tournament in consecutive seasons. Last year, Zidek led the Bearcats to an impressive 45-4 overall record and 10-2 record in AMCC round robin play.

Along with Nicholls, junior Mareana Pilyih was named to the AMCC players to watch list. Pilyih is coming off of a First Team All-Conference season, finishing her sophomore season with an average of 191.6 in more than 1100 frames, and a makeable spare percentage of 82.4%. 

The Bearcats will begin their 2026-27 season this weekend as they take part in the Midwest Collegiate Championship (Tier 1) on Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4. The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. on both days at 5-star lanes in Sterling Heights, Michigan.