BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The LIU Brooklyn bowling team is heading to the team's penultimate event of the season, the Monmouth Hawk Flite Invite at King Pin Lanes down in Egg Harbor, N.J. The No. 17  Blackbirds will face a field of 18 teams, half of which are ranked in the National Coaches poll, including No. 1 Vanderbilt.

Play begins Friday at 11 a.m. with five sets of Baker total pinfall games on day one, followed by five sets of traditional team games on Saturday, starting at 9:30 a.m. and concluding on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. with best-of-seven Baker matches.

Besides LIU (43-40) and Vandy, the stellar field includes No. 4 Sam Houston, No. 7 UMES, No. 8 Delaware State, No. 9 FDU, No. 11 NC A&T,  No. 13 Saint Francis U., No. 23 Monmouth as well as unranked teams: Bloomfield, Caldwell, Coppin State, Felician, LIU Post, Norfolk State,St Francis Brooklyn, Wilmington and Youngstown State.

LAST YEAR ON THE SHORE
Senior Kayla Johnson posted the top individual average for the Blackbirds last year at the event with a 196 average, over her five traditional matches. The team finished with a 178.4 scoring average over 64 games in the three days en route to a 10-2 record and a seventh place finish.

ON THE TARGET NEXT
LIU will wrap up the 2018-19 season next week at the Vanderbilt Music City Classic (March 15-17) in Nashville, Tenn.