KOVALOVA READY TO DEFEND TITLE AT 2021 USBC QUEENS

May 12, 2021

KOVALOVA READY TO DEFEND TITLE AT 2021 USBC QUEENS

RENO, Nev. – Ukraine’s Dasha Kovalova had her breakout victory at the United States Bowling Congress Queens in 2019, and she quickly has become one of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour’s top stars since winning her first major championship.

The 26-year-old right-hander will return to the event this week at the National Bowling Stadium, and she’s looking for another long run through the tournament’s double-elimination bracket.

The 2021 USBC Queens begins Wednesday with the tournament’s official practice sessions. The first of three five-game qualifying rounds will start Thursday, before the field is cut to the top 63 players and Kovalova, who is guaranteed a spot in the bracket as the defending champion.

Three-game total-pinfall matches will determine which players advance through the bracket leading up to the stepladder finals on May 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

With BowlTV.com providing wire-to-wire coverage of the 2021 Queens, the double-elimination format also will extended to the stepladder for the top seed.

The winner of the Queens will take home a $20,000 top prize and the tiara awarded to the champion.

Kovalova went undefeated through the bracket at the 2019 Queens in Wichita, Kansas, and defeated Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane in the title match, 226-216.

The win was the first for Kovalova since joining the tour in 2016, and she added a second later in the season at the Pepsi PWBA Louisville Open, where she rolled a perfect game in the title match.

“The win at the Queens definitely showed me that I was on the right track and that my hard work paid off,” Kovalova said. “It gave me a little bit of confidence and inspiration moving forward as a professional.”

Kovalova finished the 2019 season ranked third on the season-long points list, and she currently finds herself leading in points through six events this season (43,975).

She collected her third career title at the PWBA Twin Cities Open in April and has advanced to the stepladder finals in three of the six events in 2021.

Kovalova isn’t necessarily thinking about those statistics heading into the Queens, however, as she looks to improve her game each week on tour.

“I’m the kind of person who’s never really satisfied,” Kovalova said. “Yes, I have a win this season. Yes, it has been a great season so far. I can be better, though. I’m going to continue to trust my process and try to bowl well again this week.”

The process will be important for Kovalova during the three qualifying rounds leading to match play, since she’s already placed into the double-elimination bracket.

“It relaxes me a bit knowing I already have a spot, but it makes me anxious at the same time,” Kovalova said. “I know if I get too relaxed, I may start missing spares and my target. It puts a little extra pressure on me to make sure to watch the lanes, watch the transition and figure out what’s going on, so I can be ready for match play and predict what’s going to happen out there. I’m still going to compete as if I’m not seeded into the bracket.”
This year’s field will feature 110 players competing across two squads during qualifying. Match play will begin Sunday and go into Monday, before the top five players are determined for Tuesday’s stepladder finals.

For more information on the USBC Queens, visit BOWL.com/Queens.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens. Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,524 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
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About Me

Brian grew up in New York before moving to Phoenix, AZ in 1991. He has been involved in writing for his own bowling publication called “Striking Spotlight.” He has been published in the Desert Bowler Newspaper, Windy City News Newspaper and the Bowlers Journal. Hirsch is a Youth Director in the Kenosha USBC and a former Director for the Metro Phoenix USBC. As a Level 1 and RVP USBC coach, he can be found coaching his wife Amber and their son Masen each Saturday morning. Hirsch currently has (6) 300’s and (4) 800’s and is a member of the International Gay Bowling Organization where he is a five-time IGBO Champion and a six-time Arizona State Grand Canyon State Games Medalist. The Hirsch’s moved to Wisconsin to be closer to family and assist the Freedom Farm for Vets. Hirsch’s home bowling center is Sheridan Lanes, located in Kenosha, WI.

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