Bridgewater, NJ -- Fresh off its first NEC women’s bowling championship, Duquesne has its sights set on a repeat. But with three NEC teams ranked in the NTCA Preseason Top-25 and three more receiving votes, the Dukes will have no shortage of formidable challengers standing in their way.

Duquesne finished first in the NEC women’s bowling preseason coaches poll with three first place votes.

Niagara finished a close second in the voting, despite drawing a poll-high five first-place nods. Mercyhurst placed third, followed by Monmouth in fourth and FDU in fifth. Le Moyne was picked to finish sixth in its inaugural season, while LIU and Wagner rounded out the poll.

Duquesne enters the 2026-27 season with lofty expectations, being ranked 16th in the NTCA Preseason Top-25 Poll. After knocking on the door, the Dukes secured their first NEC bowling championship in 2025-26 after going 63-47 overall and 17-7 in the NEC to earn a share of the regular season title. It marked the third time Duquesne finished atop the regular season standings, all of which have come under head coach Jody Fetterhoff. Duquesne was the No. 2 seed at the NEC Championships, going on to win the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record. The two-time NEC Coach of the Year returns most of her key contributors from a season ago. Maribeth Baker (York, PA/Pennridge), Ivanna Fraticelli (Guyanabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Puertorriqueno de Ninas), Taylor Miller (Lititz, PA/Warwick) and Jazmyn Scott (Urbana, OH/Urbana) all will look to run it back as NEC champions.

Baker was among the NEC’s elite in several stat categories last year. She paced the league in traditional frame average (21.29), finished second in overall frame average (20.74) and strike percentage (54.4), and held the league’s third best PCPI (89.40). The York, PA native was named an All-NEC First Team selection. Miller and Scott were All-NEC Rookie honorees.

Niagara, which landed 14th in the NTCA Preseason Top-25, went 82-40 overall and 17-7 in the NEC last season. The Purple Eagles will look to build upon a campaign that resulted in a first-ever regular season crown and the top seed in the NEC Tournament. Head coach Jeff Walsh’s squad earned key victories over several ranked programs last year, including Wright State, Mount St. Mary’s, Saint Vincent, Youngstown State and UAB. Niagara bring back several key members of last year’s team, including NTCA Third Team All-American Kate Ackerman (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill). Ackerman, also named an All-NEC Second Team selection, finished the year with an 88.0 fill percentage and a 9.15 first-ball average, both league-bests. She also finished with a 93.30 PCPI. Niagara welcomes back the NEC’s last two Rookie of the Year honorees in Dakota Collins (East Islip, NY/East Islip) (2026-27) and Jocelyn Smith (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls) (2025-26) as the Purple Eagles pursue their first-ever NEC championship.

Several other NEC squads return key performers as well. Mercyhurst brings back All-NEC First Teamer and Co-NEC Tournament MVP Tia Germanich (Cheswick, PA/Deer Lakes High). Monmouth, ranked 24th in the NTCA preseason poll, returns both Kailyn Bloch (East Islip, NY/East Islip) and Morgan Davis (North Richland Hills, TX/Birdville). Bloch was an All-NEC First Team honoree, while Davis was a Second Team member. FDU returns an All-Conference bowler as well in Jadeyn Mabry (Queen Creek, AZ/Queen Creek), who was tabbed to Second Team.

In addition to the three ranked schools, Mercyhurst, FDU and Le Moyne all received votes in the NTCA Preseason Top-25.

Le Moyne enters its first season sponsoring women's bowling under inaugural head coach John Martin.

The top four finishers in the regular season qualify for the NEC Championships, set for March 19-21 at Hamilton Lanes in Hamilton, NJ.

About The NEC
Now in its 46th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 17 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.necsports.com) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.