PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — After a one-year absence because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore bowling team will be hosting the Eastern Shore Hawk Classic beginning Friday (Nov. 19) and running through Sunday. Competition begins Friday at 10 a.m. and it is open to the public. It will also be broadcast live on Bowltv.com.

"It is very exciting," graduate student Paulina Torres (Ponce, Puerto Rico) said. "I think we have been waiting the whole semester to get to this tournament. It is one of the most exciting tournaments because it is our home tournament plus we stay in a house, so we all stay together. That is super exciting. It is a really good way to end the semester in a way where we can get closer as a team."

The National Tenpin Coaches Association No. 20 Hawks will be welcoming 14 other squads to Millsboro Lanes in Millsboro, Delaware including: No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 5 North Carolina A&T State, No. 6 Sam Houston State, No. 7 Youngstown State, No. 8 Fairleigh Dickinson, No. 11 Duquesne, No. 12 Sacred Heart, No. 13 Mount St. Mary's, No. 14 Delaware State, No. 19 Monmouth, No. 23 Long Island, No. 25 Adelphi and unranked St. Francis Brooklyn and Wilmington.

It's stiff competition for sure, but the Hawks are looking to figure out where they stand at this point in the season and Torres believes that seeing this many teams who are in the polls in the home event will be beneficial.

"I think since the first tournament when we were wondering what it would be like for us as a team and then it went pretty good," Torres said. "We did have a very good bond and we have kept working on that. It is getting stronger and stronger and with this tournament I think we will end the semester in a positive way."

This will be the first Hawk Classic for junior transfer Elizabeth Ross (Schenectady, New York) and sophomores Gabriella Ochoa Hubbard (Nogales, Sonora, Mexica) and Brooke Driver (Woodbridge, Virginia) who were all on the roster last season when the Hawks opted out of competition because of COVID.

"I'm excited," Driver said. "We don't have to get on a plane and drag our balls through the airport, so that's great. I've heard a lot about the event and I'm excited for the house. In the hotels, we really don't get to see each other as much."

The team would normally rotate roommates on the road to maximize the closeness of the group, but because of steps to minimize exposure because of COVID-19, everyone has had the same hotel roommate on the road this season.

While the team dynamic is still growing, the early season unknowns are starting to fade and the individuals have been able to focus on being a part of the team instead of their nerves — especially the two sophomores.

"I feel ready for this," Ochoa Hubbard said. "I'm not anxious, but excited to be bowling at home. I was very anxious early in the season because it had been a year and now I'm back to doing what I love, what makes me happy and that I'm passionate about."

Ochoa Hubbard has shown flashes of what could be for her as she won MEAC Rookie of the Week ending Oct. 24 when Roberts was Bowler of the Week. She said her biggest adjustment to college bowling has been the team aspect, which is different from what she had experienced in the past.

Rather than being in control of your own performance alone, there is a focus on how you can make your teammates better.

"I feel like this tournament is our time to get better and improve as a team," she said. "I think this weekend we'll be more together, have more connection and improve our communication on and off the lanes and the chemistry on the lanes."

Driver was nervous to start the season as well and this year of firsts has been an adjustment for her, but she is meeting the challenge head on.

"I thought it was going to be a little bit different," Driver said. "I had higher expectations for myself, but I still have a lot of work to do and a lot of things I need to improve to get better. I had to deal with not bowling for more than a year, so that affected my game a lot. Coming back, I think that hurt my confidence. It was harder to do things that I was good at before."

Driver said that this season was really like being a Division I athlete for the first time. Last year, the classes were all virtual which was a struggle for her because it didn't fit the way she learns best. This year, she has had to learn to balance in person classes and work with practice, travel and competition.

While her performance has met her own expectations thus far, Driver said that she has felt her game improving with the increased practice time, coaching and more reps.

The Shore (17-17, 3-5) struggled in last weekend's opening Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference event of the season and they will look to put that behind them this weekend. It's been an up and down for pretty much everyone on the roster over three events. Junior Brooke Roberts (Port Orange, Florida) and Alejandra Amezcua (Baja California, Mexico) like everyone else have had their struggles lately, while Torres was the only one who had a strong weekend at the MEAC meet. She feels good about where her game is, but also where the team is going.

"I think we are in a good place," Torres said. "I think if everything comes together this weekend we are in a good spot. Each bowler is talented and I think if we bring that together as a team we can do good. It's a home event where you enjoy the lanes and you bowl well."

The Hawks are .500 overall heading into the weekend and while it isn't where they wanted to be they know they are far from finished this season. A strong showing at home followed by a break until the Stormin' Blue & White Vegas Classic on Jan. 8, could provide momentum for the final seven events of the regular season.

"Don't count us out," Driver said. "I feel like a lot of people out there are underestimating us or pushing us to the side because of everything that has happened in the last two years. But they are definitely making a wrong choice in doing that."