Delaware State's Katie Robb wins women's title at 2021 Intercollegiate Singles Championships

WYOMING, Mich. - Katie Robb is bringing home the first United States Bowling Congress Collegiate national title for Delaware State after winning the women's title at the 2021 Intercollegiate Singles Championships.

Robb defeated North Carolina A&T's Ana Olaya in the title match, 186-166, which aired Tuesday on CBS Sports Network.

The finals of the 2021 ISC and Intercollegiate Team Championships were held May 8 at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex. The men's ISC telecast will air May 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The ITC shows will air on May 25 (women) at 6:30 p.m. Eastern and June 1 (men) at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The championship match provided both competitors with challenges as the 38-foot oil pattern began to transition.

Robb, a junior for the Hornets, was down by 12 pins through four frames after back-to-back opens in the third and fourth frames. Olaya also opened the third and fourth frames, but she maintained the lead until the seventh frame.

Olaya, a senior for the Aggies, left a 1-2-4-10 washout she was unable to convert, and Robb took advantage of a rolled 2 pin in the eighth frame to record a double and jump ahead in the match.

With Olaya finishing first, Robb stepped up in the 10th frame needing nine pins to claim the victory, and she delivered a strike to secure the win.

"It's surreal," Robb said. "I'm very honored to be able to represent Delaware State and take home this win. Being able to seal the deal in the 10th frame is one of the best feelings ever."

Robb made a ball change during the championship round after recording a 215-195 win over McKendree's Isabel Allen in the semifinals, and she made sure to keep an eye on her angles during the title tilt.

"Going into the semifinals, I think the lanes were a little tighter than on the practice pair, so I just made sure my angles were correct," Robb said. "I tend to drift a little bit to the left of my angle, so I made sure to keep them tighter. Heading into the championship match, the lanes did change a bit. They opened up, and I made a ball change. I went from a solid asymmetric to a solid symmetrical ball, and I really had to trust it down the lane."

The victory also allowed Robb to join Delaware State head coach Elysia Current in the winner's circle at the ISC. Current captured the 2007 ISC title while competing for Wichita State.

"It's awesome to share it with her," Robb said. "She shared some of her past experiences with me, and it really helped. She helps me with my nerves and my mental game, and I'm really grateful to have her behind me."

Olaya earned her spot in the finals with a 204-189 win against Indiana Tech's Maryssa Carey.

The 2021 ISC featured 24 women and 24 men, representing their schools in the national singles event. Individuals earned their spots at the ISC through four sectional qualifiers held throughout the country in April.

Individuals needed to finish in the top six at their sectionals based on six-game pinfall totals.

At the Spectrum Entertainment Complex, all ISC qualifiers bowled six games of qualifying to determine seeding for the single-elimination bracket, with the top eight seeds in each division earning a first-round bye. All bracket matches leading up to the semifinals and finals featured a three-game total-pinfall match to determine which player advanced.

Robb earned a first-round bye after qualifying in third place, and she defeated Ottawa-Kansas' Rebekah Loker (603-573) and Lawrence Tech's Victoria Giardina (616-607) to earn her spot on CBS Sports Network.

Olaya, the No. 12 seed, defeated Saint Xavier's Hannah Bond (550-494), Mount Mercy's Ayra Aminuddin (628-567) and Tusculum's Jordan Mundt (518-501) to advance to the semifinals.