SMYRNA, Tenn. -- The third-ranked Fairleigh Dickinson women's bowling team leads the 29-team field at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic, hosted by Vanderbilt, after the first day of competition on Friday at the Smyrna Bowling Center. The Knights went 5-1 on the day in quad baker matches and are in first place based on their total pinfall of 4950. FDU is now 80-20 on the season.

In their first match of the day against No. 6 Stephen F. Austin, the Knights had to rally from a 21-pin deficit to claim a 787-746 victory. FDU used a big third game (236-175) to take control of the match.

The only loss of the day came in FDU's second match in a battle of top-three teams, with the Knights losing to No. 2 Nebraska, 817-775. The match was tied after two games, but FDU was unable to string strikes together in the decisive third game, which the Cornhuskers won, 244-214.

The Knights started to play a lot better in their third match, an 827-716 victory over No. 19 Alabama State. The momentum then carried over into a 759-661 victory over No. 15 McKendree in the fourth match, which consisted of lower scores because of the tough lane conditions.

FDU faced its third top-10 opponent of the day in No. 9 Wisconsin-Whitewater in the fifth match, and the Knights rolled, 889-785, over one of their biggest rivals.

The day ended for FDU against UAB, and the Knights blitzed the Blazers, 913-633, as FDU figured everything out in that match. FDU jumped from fifth place after the third match into the top spot with its final two scores.

"It was one of those days where we got better as the day went on," Head Coach Mike LoPresti said. "Tomorrow we have big matches ahead of us against teams like Central Missouri and other top-10 teams that we need to handle in traditional team games. We hope to continue our success in tomorrow's matches."

The Knights will resume play on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the first of six traditional team games.