AUBURN #- In the nearly 33 years that Lisa Matty has been bowling, she has had her fair share of highs and lows. But last season, when she had to have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome in both of her wrists and she missed much of the beginning of the season, it was a long road to get back to where she once was with her game.

“At first I just didn't have any strength,” Matty said. “But I'd still go and try to play, but there was nothing there. I had to keep going to physical therapy and build back up, and I spent the rest of that season building back up.”

Matty is no stranger to setbacks in her bowling career, that began at the age of 5, when her parents, who were active in the local junior leagues, took her to the Polish Falcons.

“That is really what got me interested and kept me in it,” Matty said. “Every Saturday I'd be at the bowling alley. It was always a lot of fun to me.”

Matty quickly took to the game and spent much of her time growing up competing locally as well as across the state in numerous youth tournaments.

“There were lots of tournaments then,” Matty said.

“That was a lot of fun to be out of town over night. I traveled to tournaments almost every weekend.”

After the birth of her first child, Matty took five years off from the game, it was the encouragement of her husband, Jeff, a director for the Auburn USBC, that got Matty back on the lanes.

“He was always encouraging me to go,” Lisa Matty said. “He got me to go back, and I'm glad he did. We do a lot of couples tournaments together for the 700 and 600 clubs. We go out for the masters every year. I go and support him when he bowls, we do a lot together. I missed out on those years. But now I'm back and I love it. I look forward to it every week. I've made a lot of good friends.”

After making her return, the carpal tunnel surgery couldn't have come at a worse time. And while it was an uphill battle after her surgery, Matty came back strong by the end of the year, bowling a 680 and earning a 286 high average.

This year she has come back healed, rested and determined to push her game to the next level.

Already she has reached a milestone achievement, earning her first 700 game on October.

While Matty has earned several 600 games along the way, the 700 has been elusive.

But while bowling at Starlite, during her Tuesday night league, after she knocked out a 267, personal best high game, the 700 didn't seem so elusive anymore.

“Seven hundred is one of the main goals for everybody,” Matty said. “But it takes a lot of luck to make it happen. I was really excited after I got the 267 - that is what made it happen.”

While reaching this momentous point in her career has made for an exciting highlight, Matty said there are always more goals that lie ahead.

“Everybody would love to get an 800,” she said. “That is one of my big goals now. I'd also love to get a 300 game; I've still never done that. Like I said, it takes a lot of luck, but my husband is always there encouraging me every week. So I'm just going to go out and keep trying my best and do the best I can and have a good time while I do and just keep trying to have good games.”