Dunkirk native Rachel Glowniak was named the Northeast Conference tournament MVP for Sacred Heart University as she helped lead the program to the NCAA tournament. Photo courtesy of Sacred Heart University athletics

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — The Northeast Conference has announced the 2023 NEC Bowling Championship All-Tournament team. Sacred Heart University sophomore Rachel Glowniak was named the tournament MVP, leading the Pioneers to the program’s sixth NEC Bowling Championship.

Glowniak, the 2022 NEC Rookie of the Year, was on top of her game during the Pioneers’ perfect 4-0 run to the title. A native of Dunkirk, she filled 94.3 percent of 106 frames bowled and struck a whopping 61 times during that stretch (.575 strike percentage). Glowniak led all NEC bowlers with a 22.31 frame average, which included a tournament-best 23.70 pins per frame in traditional match play. Most impressively, the righty was clutch in crunch time, as she filled each of the 17 frames she bowled as the Pioneers’ anchor after rolling strikes on 47.1 percent of her 10th-frame attempts.

This is the second time in as many years that SHU had a tournament MVP as Paige Donovan was the 2022 MVP.

Sacred Heart will make the program’s ninth appearance in the NCAA tournament, starting today in the Rochester regional. SHU will take on Arkansas State in the first round.