NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women’s bowling team made its 2009-10 season debut in the National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, at No. 19 for the month of December.

The Spartans, who were unranked in the preseason poll but reached as high as No. 18 last season, were 29-14 as of the poll’s release. The Spartans (33-18 through Dec. 6) knocked off three ranked teams at the Eastern Shore Hawk Classic last month, propelling them to the national ranking, before finish 4-4 at the MEAC Southern Division meet last weekend.

Fellow MEAC teams Maryland Eastern Shore (No. 2), Delaware State (No. 3) and Morgan State (No. 20) also cracked this month’s poll.