Bercier leads PWBA Pepsi Open heading into bracket match play
August 09, 2025
Qualifying Results
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – After 12 games of qualifying at the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Pepsi Open contested at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, New York, just 16 will return Saturday morning for the single-elimination match-play bracket, led by Valerie Bercier of Muskegon, Michigan, after shooting a 12-game total of 2,826.
Stephanie Zavala of Long Beach, California, holds the No. 2 seed in the bracket (2,792) while Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, is the No. 3 seed (2,762). Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio (2,748), and Jordan Snodgrass of Adrian, Michigan (2,725), are seeds four and five, respectively.
The following 10 players are also in the bracket: Breanna Clemmer of Clover, South Carolina (2,701); Cassidy Courey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (2,701); Megan Duff of Vandalia, Ohio (2,645); Lindsay Boomershine of Brigham City, Utah (2,629); Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York (2,604); England’s Verity Crawley (2,600); Singapore’s Shayna Ng (2,589); Sweden’s Anna Andersson (2,585); Sweden’s Nora Johansson (2,583); Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas (2,572); and Olivia Farwell of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania (2,567), after shooting a big 246 in the final game to make the bracket by five pins.
The 2019 Rookie of the Year returned full-time to the PWBA Tour this year after starting a family with her husband, John, and has made the most of it, cashing six times and earning a spot in the Tour Championship based on points.
“In November or December, I remember thinking that this was the year I go out,” Bercier said. “I had to think about it, pray about it and figure out if I bring John and my son with me. We don’t really have family back home to leave (my son) with, so it was a lot of logistics and mental anguish thinking about coming out here traveling.”
With Valerie and John both working remote jobs and family scattered throughout, leaving options limited for them, the decision was made to bring John and son along for the ride this season.
It's been worth every second.
“There was a moment today that I saw my name up on the leaderboard, I looked back at them and thought ‘this is a dream’”, she said, affirming that the right decision was made. “It’s the fact that I get to be here competing with them behind me, with John as my coach, my ball rep and there if I need anything emotionally. The hug (from my son) after I’m done, or even the middle of the squad hug, is the best.”
Bercier and company will return along with the other 15 competitors at 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday for the first round of the best-of-five match-play bracket. The second round will start at 2 p.m. Eastern, before the semifinals and finals begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. The semifinals and finals will be just one-game matches, view the full bracket HERE.
For more information on the Pepsi Open and Tour Championship Week, visit pwba.com/national-tour/2025-pwba-tour-championship-week.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – After 12 games of qualifying at the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Pepsi Open contested at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, New York, just 16 will return Saturday morning for the single-elimination match-play bracket, led by Valerie Bercier of Muskegon, Michigan, after shooting a 12-game total of 2,826.
Stephanie Zavala of Long Beach, California, holds the No. 2 seed in the bracket (2,792) while Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, is the No. 3 seed (2,762). Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio (2,748), and Jordan Snodgrass of Adrian, Michigan (2,725), are seeds four and five, respectively.
The following 10 players are also in the bracket: Breanna Clemmer of Clover, South Carolina (2,701); Cassidy Courey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (2,701); Megan Duff of Vandalia, Ohio (2,645); Lindsay Boomershine of Brigham City, Utah (2,629); Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York (2,604); England’s Verity Crawley (2,600); Singapore’s Shayna Ng (2,589); Sweden’s Anna Andersson (2,585); Sweden’s Nora Johansson (2,583); Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas (2,572); and Olivia Farwell of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania (2,567), after shooting a big 246 in the final game to make the bracket by five pins.
The 2019 Rookie of the Year returned full-time to the PWBA Tour this year after starting a family with her husband, John, and has made the most of it, cashing six times and earning a spot in the Tour Championship based on points.
“In November or December, I remember thinking that this was the year I go out,” Bercier said. “I had to think about it, pray about it and figure out if I bring John and my son with me. We don’t really have family back home to leave (my son) with, so it was a lot of logistics and mental anguish thinking about coming out here traveling.”
With Valerie and John both working remote jobs and family scattered throughout, leaving options limited for them, the decision was made to bring John and son along for the ride this season.
It's been worth every second.
“There was a moment today that I saw my name up on the leaderboard, I looked back at them and thought ‘this is a dream’”, she said, affirming that the right decision was made. “It’s the fact that I get to be here competing with them behind me, with John as my coach, my ball rep and there if I need anything emotionally. The hug (from my son) after I’m done, or even the middle of the squad hug, is the best.”
Bercier and company will return along with the other 15 competitors at 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday for the first round of the best-of-five match-play bracket. The second round will start at 2 p.m. Eastern, before the semifinals and finals begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. The semifinals and finals will be just one-game matches, view the full bracket HERE.
For more information on the Pepsi Open and Tour Championship Week, visit pwba.com/national-tour/2025-pwba-tour-championship-week.